Thoracoscopic extended thymectomy for myasthenia gravis

We evaluated the results of 13 extended thymectomies performed by left thoracoscopic approach. The indication was myasthenia gravis without thymoma in 11 patients and with small encapsulated thymoma in 2 patients. Conversion to median sternotomy was necessary in one patient. There was neither operative mortality nor major morbidity. Mean follow-up was 15 months. At 12 months mean Osserman class decreased from 1.8 to 1.2. At last follow-up 3 patients were in remission, 6 were improved, 2 were unchanged, and one was deteriorated. The intermediate-term results obtained in this series by thoracoscopic extended thymectomy are promising and lead us to believe that this operation will have increasing use in the surgical treatment of myasthenia gravis.