title: [Thymectomy in myasthenia gravis---experience with 173 surgical patients].
abstract: Over a 13-year period, 173 patients with myasthenia gravis--69 per cent men and 31 per cent women--undergo operative treatment in the clinic of thoracic surgery with oncology at the Military Medical Academy--Sofia. Most patients present generalized form of the disease. The operation consists in longitudinal sternotomy. In the last few years, a new approach to preoperative preparation and postoperative treatment of the patients is used. As the result of strict long-term postoperative monitoring, plasmapheresis application, immunomodulation and adequate intensive care, the rate of complications is greatly reduced with not a single fatal outcome being recorded.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chalŭkov
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Iordanov
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Petkov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000601:surgery*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011300:Preoperative Care; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000379:methods