Transcervical thymectomy in renal transplant recipients: surgical complications and possible effect on long-term...

Between January 1963 and December 1967, 59 renal transplant recipients underwent thymectomy with or without splenectomy as an adjuvant to standard immunosuppression. All thymectomies were performed transcervically. By internal comparison long-term renal allograft survival was better in recipients who had thymectomy, when compared to those who did not. There were no significant surgical complications associated with transcervical thymectomy and the completeness of thymectomy was judged satisfactory. The role of thymectomy as an adjuvant operation in human renal transplant recipients should be re-examined.