Transsternal thymectomy for myasthenia gravis

A consistent, planned approach to thymectomy for patients with myasthenia gravis has been used at the University of North Carolina since 1977. This involves a sternotomy, with excision of the entire thymus and adjacent fatty tissues from the thyroid to the diaphragm and laterally to 1 cm from each phrenic nerve. Between 1977 and 1993, 100 consecutive patients were treated in this manner with no mortality. Eight-four percent of patients were extubated in the operating room or within 1 hour of surgery, and no patients experienced postoperative respiratory difficulty. After a mean follow-up of 65 months, 78% of all patients improved by at least one modified Osserman classification, and 69% of patients with preoperative class I, II, or III disease (maximal preoperative severity) are in pharmacological remission. We conclude that transsternal thymectomy is associated with minimal morbidity and no mortality, and results in long-term improvement in symptoms for patients with myasthenia gravis.