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Updated: Jun 25, 2025

Complete Thymectomy in Adult Rats with Non-invasive Endotracheal Intubation
Published on: December 29, 2014
Does Surgical Removal of the Thymus Have Deleterious Consequences?
Henry J Kaminski1, Linda L Kusner1, Gary R Cutter1
1From the Department of Neurology & Rehabilitation Medicine (H.J.K.), George Washington University, DC; Department of Pharmacology & Physiology (L.L.K.), and Department of Biostatistics (G.R.C.), University of Alabama at Birmingham; INSERM (R.L.P.), Institute of Myology, Center of Research in Myology, Sorbonne University, Paris, France; Department of Surgery (C.D.W.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; and Department of Surgery (Y.P.), and Department of Neurology (G.I.W.), Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo/SUNY, NY.
None:
The role of immunosenescence, particularly the natural process of thymic involution during aging, is increasingly acknowledged as a factor contributing to the development of autoimmune diseases and cancer. Recently, a concern has been raised about deleterious consequences of the surgical removal of thymic tissue, including for patients who undergo thymectomy for myasthenia gravis (MG) or resection of a thymoma. This review adopts a multidisciplinary approach to scrutinize the evidence concerning the long-term risks of cancer and autoimmunity postthymectomy. We conclude that for patients with acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive MG and those diagnosed with thymoma, the removal of the thymus offers prominent benefits that well outweigh the potential risks. However, incidental removal of thymic tissue during other thoracic surgeries should be minimized whenever feasible.
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