Transsternal radical thymectomy for myasthenia gravis: a 15-year review

Thymectomy is an accepted therapeutic modality for patients with myasthenia gravis. The selection of patients for operation and the surgical approach are controversial. We reviewed 52 patients (aged 18 months to 82 years; mean age, 34 years) treated with transsternal radical thymectomy between 1972 and 1987. Patients were symptomatically staged according to the modified Osserman classification. There was one hospital death and postoperative follow-up was obtained on 51 patients. Improvement after thymectomy was observed in 3 of 11 patients (27%) in Osserman stage I, 16 of 25 patients (64%) in Osserman stage IIA, and 13 of 15 patients (86%) in combined Osserman stages IIB, III, and IV. Preoperative Osserman stage, patient sex, and thymic histology correlated with postoperative clinical response. Transsternal radical thymectomy is effective therapy for myasthenia gravis. Sustained improvement is obtained in patients with moderate and advanced disease. The majority of patients with ocular disease do not benefit from operation.