History of Thymectomy for Myasthenia Gravis

In the early 1900s, chance observations of improved symptoms in several myasthenic patients undergoing thyroidectomy for goiters with concomitant resection of the adjacent thymus gland, first suggested a possible association between the thymus and myasthenia gravis. With the remarkable progress made in the understanding and treatment of myasthenia and in the anesthetic, surgical, and postoperative management of patients undergoing thoracic procedures, the initial high morbidity and mortality associated with thymectomy have been all but eliminated, and thymectomy is frequently incorporated into the long-term management strategy of this disease.