Benefits of Comprehensive Rehabilitation Therapy in Thymectomy for Myasthenia Gravis: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the effectiveness of a comprehensive program of rehabilitation therapy in patients undergoing thymectomy for myasthenia gravis (MG). DESIGN: From 2005 to 2010, 46 consecutive patients affected by MG underwent a rehabilitation program both before and after thymectomy. We matched each patient with a "control patient" who underwent thymectomy within the period 1999 to 2004 with no preoperative rehabilitation, who had the closest propensity score matching. RESULTS: All patients but 2 were able to complete the intended program. Eighteen patients (41%) experienced mild fatigue (>25 at MG quantitative score). Propensity score selected a group of 17 patients for the matching process. The group of patients who underwent the rehabilitation program showed significant preoperative improvement associated with a reduced operative risk, a decreased early postoperative morbidity, a lower rate of postoperative intensive care unit needed (12% vs 35%; P = 0.01) and a shorter hospital stay (3 vs 5 days; P = 0.04). After the expected perioperative decline, all major myasthenic outcomes demonstrated a significant faster recovery at 3 months. Complete stable remission did not reveal significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise is not necessarily a contraindication in MG, and rehabilitation can be safely performed before and after thymectomy, reducing operative risks and decreasing recovery time.