Thoracoscopic thymectomy with the 'da Vinci' surgical system in patient with myasthenia gravis

摘要

We report a thoracoscopic thymectomy performed completely with a robotic surgical system: 'da Vinci surgical system', in a 23-year-old woman with myasthenia gravis.Thymectomy is a widely accepted therapy for patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), but controversy persists regarding the indications and timing for operations.Since Blalock et al. [1] first demonstrated the beneficial effect of thymectomy in 1939, the procedure has become increasingly accepted in the treatment of MG. However, the optimal selection of patients for surgery remains controversial.