This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zielinski, M. Articles by Narski, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zielinski, M. Articles by Narski, M. Related Collections Mediastinum

Extended rethymectomy in the treatment of refractory myasthenia gravis: original video-assisted technique of resternotomy and results of the treatment in 21 patients

M. Zieliski^*, J. Kuda, B. Staniec, M. Harazda, T. Nabiaek, J. Pankowski, A. Szlubowski and M. Narski

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Pulmonary Hospital, ul. Gadkie 1, 34-500 Zakopane, Poland

^* Corresponding author. Tel.: +48-18-201-5045
marcinz{at}mp.pl

The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of extended rethymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis. Additionally, an original technique of resternotomy is described. Extended rethymectomy was performed on 21 patients with refractory myastenic symptoms after a previous transsternal thymectomy. In 8 patients the original video-assisted technique of complete longitudinal resternotomy with the aid of a special sternal retractor elevating the sternum from above and below was used. Severe intraoperative haemorrhage from the lacerated left innominate vein occurred in 3/13 patients operated on before the video-assisted technique of resternotomy had been introduced. In none of the 8 patients operated on with video-assisted resternotomy such a complication was noted. Pathological findings: retained thymic lobe (4/21 patients), ectopic foci of thymic tissue (13/21 patients) no thymic tissue (4/21 patients). Results of follow-up: complete remission (11.8%), improvement (64.7%); no improvement (35.3%) during the follow-up period (mean 3.4 years). There was neither deterioration of myasthenia nor mortality during follow-up in this group. We conclude that described technique of video-assisted resternotomy reliably prevents the laceration of the heart and great vessels, and that complete remission and improvement rates in patients operated on with the extended rethymectomy are relatively low but deterioration of myasthenia is prevented.

Key Words: Myasthenia gravis; Thymectomy; Reoperation

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. M. Ponseti, J. Gamez, R. Vilallonga, C. Ruiz, J. Azem, M. Lopez-Cano, and M. Armengol Influence of ectopic thymic tissue on clinical outcome following extended thymectomy in generalized seropositive nonthymomatous myasthenia gravis Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., November 1, 2008; 34(5): 1062 - 1067. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]