Extended Transcervical Video-Assisted Thymectomy

A proof-of-concept study: advantages of the subxiphoid over the lateral intercostal approach

OBJECTIVES

The study was designed to evaluate the superiority of the subxiphoid approach compared with the lateral intercostal approach during the operation and other perioperative indices.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with anterior mediastinal disease in our hospital between January 2018 and October 2019 were prospectively assigned to 2 groups; 1 group underwent the lateral intercostal approach and 1 group underwent the subxiphoid approach of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery to resect the diseased tissue. The PaCO2, SaO2, PaO2 and circulation changes were recorded during the operation; the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and other perioperative outcomes, including clinical and surgical results, operating time, blood loss, postoperative complication and postoperative pain score were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 59 patients diagnosed with an anterior mediastinal tumour or myasthenia gravis underwent a video-assisted thoracoscopic resection. Thirty-one patients were treated via the subxiphoid approach, and 28 patients were treated via the lateral intercostal approach. The PaCO2 increased significantly and the SaO2 remained stable in the subxiphoid group during the operation, whereas PaCO2 increased significantly and SaO2 decreased at the same time in the lateral intercostal group. Operations were more frequently interrupted for the hypoxia or circulation disturbance during the process of dissecting the thymus in the lateral intercostal approach. Compared with the lateral intercostal approach, patients treated via the subxiphoid approach experienced less inflammation and exhibited lower pain scores and shorter postoperative hospital stays. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications between the 2 groups. All of the patients recovered well when discharged.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study results suggested that the subxiphoid approach has less of an influence on the pulmonary circulation than the lateral intercostal approach, that the whole procedure is safer and easier and that the subxiphoid approach may be the ideal choice for patients with anterior mediastinal disease.

Clinical Outcomes and Technical Approach of Thymectomy in the Veterans Health Administration

BACKGROUND

Thymectomy is traditionally performed via transsternal incision, but less invasive modalities have emerged, including transcervical, thoracoscopic, and robotic approaches. Despite the advantages of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS) over thoracotomy, most thymectomies are performed via sternotomy. This study compared the utilization and 30-day post-operative outcomes of transsternal, transcervical, and VATS thymectomy in the Veterans Health Administration.

METHODS

This was a retrospective review of veterans that underwent thymectomy via the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program. 30-day outcomes were compared between techniques, adjusting for confounding covariates. Temporal trends were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, rho(ρ).

RESULTS

From 2008-2019, 594 thymectomies were performed: 376(63.3%) transsternal, 113(19.0%) VATS(including robotic approaches), and 105(17.7%) transcervical cases. VATS utilization increased from 0% in 2008 to 61% of case volume in 2019. Relative to transsternal technique, VATS thymectomy was associated with decreased odds of pulmonary complications (adjusted odds ratio=0.06;p=0.028) and shorter hospital stay (2.9±0.4 days shorter;p<0.001). No difference in outcomes was detected between VATS and transcervical thymectomy. Post-operative complication rate decreased from 17.7% in 2008 to 5.6% in 2019 (ρ=-0.101;p=0.014). Length of stay decreased from median 4 days in 2008 to 3 days in 2019 (ρ=-0.093;p=0.026). In thymic cancer, VATS 5-year overall survival was non-inferior to transsternal approach(71.3% vs. 74.6%; p=0.54).

CONCLUSIONS

Transsternal approach comprised most thymectomy cases amongst veterans, while VATS thymectomy utilization increased over time and was associated with favorable outcomes. 30-day outcomes after thymectomy improved over time, which may reflect a trend towards wider utilization of less invasive approaches. Future studies should examine long-term outcomes.

Subxiphoid and subcostal arch "Three ports" thoracoscopic extended thymectomy for myasthenia gravis

Background

The approaches to thoracoscopic thymectomy in myasthenia gravis (MG) are debatable. We developed a novel approach via subxiphoid and subcostal arch, with a significantly shorter duration of operation and hospital stay, less estimated blood loss, and lower postoperative pain.

Methods

From December 2012 to December 2014, 77 myasthenia gravis patients with or without thymoma underwent thoracoscopic extended thymectomy at our hospital. Among them, 41 patients were operated via the subxiphoid and subcostal arch approach and the other 36 via the conventional unilateral approach. The patient outcomes were retrospectively reviewed and evaluated.

Results

The thoracoscopic extended thymectomy was performed safely via the subxiphoid and subcostal arch approach. In this approach, no drainage tube was inserted after operation except in the first two patients. Two of the 41 patients were switched to trans-sternal approach due to the tight adhesion between the thymoma and the left innominate vein. No major complications occurred. Compared with the unilateral approach, the duration of the procedure via subxiphoid and subcostal arch was significantly shorter, with less estimated blood loss, shorter hospital-stay and lower postoperative pain (P<0.001). The cosmetic scores were comparable between the two groups (P=0.369).

Conclusions

The novel subxiphoid and subcostal arch approach is technically feasible and safe. It is an acceptable alternative to conventional thoracoscopic extended thymectomy.

Thymic neoplasm: a rare disease with a complex clinical presentation

Thymic neoplasms constitute a broad category of rare lesions with a wide spectrum of pathologic characteristics and clinical presentations which therefore require a high index of suspicion to diagnose. The natural history of the disease is seldom predictable, anywhere from an indolent to an aggressively malignant course. Although the classification and staging of these lesions are complex and controversial, complete radical surgical resection remains the gold standard of therapy. Radiation and chemotherapy are important elements of the multimodality approach to treating these patients and it is important for thoracic surgeons to work closely with their colleagues in other disciplines in the management of and future research endeavors in thymic neoplasm. In this review, we discuss the evaluation of the patient with an anterior mediastinal mass, the classification and staging of thymic neoplasms, the role of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy in treating this disease, as well as future directions in research for novel targeted therapies.

Preliminary results of VATS thymectomy for pediatric myasthenia gravis

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a debilitating disease which necessitates long-term medical therapy. If left untreated, it can have a high mortality rate. The commonest variety in children, the autoimmune variety, often requires recourse to immunomodulation including prolonged usage of high-dose steroids. Thymectomy has not been a popular option among treating clinicians. There is evidence to suggest that if thymectomy is performed early in the disease, it has a high success rate in reducing the doses of the oral steroid medication and also in inducing remission of the disease. We have performed video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) thymectomy in four patients with the autoimmune variety of MG. In this study, we have had a fair and comparable success rate as with the other adult series. On the basis of this preliminary study, we recommend that the option of VATS thymectomy should be offered to select patients of MG.