title: [Mid-, and long-term effects of video-assisted thoracoscopic and transsternal thymectomy in treatment of non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis: analysis of 204 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the mid-, and long-term effects of video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy and transsternal thymectomy in treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG) and to identify the prognostic factors for thymectomy success.
  
  
  METHODS
  161 patients with non-thymomatous MS, 84 males and 120 females, aged 33, underwent transsternal thymectomy and were followed up for 5 years; and 43 patients with non-thymomatous MS A retrospective, 1 male and 25 females, 21 being aged >40 during operation, underwent thoracoscopic thymectomy and were followed up for 3 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean operating time of the thoracoscopic group was (132 +/- 32) min minutes, significantly longer than that of the transsternal thymectomy group [(96 +/- 18) min, P = 0.000]. Four patients in the transsternal thymectomy group and 41 in the transsternal thymectomy group developed myasthenic crises (P = 0.023). The complete stable remission (CSR) rates 1, 2, and 3 years after operation of the thoracoscopic thymectomy group were 34.9%, 41.9%, and 46.5% respectively; and CSR rates 1, 2, 3, and 5 years after operation of the transsternal thymectomy group were 26.7%, 31.7%, 35.4%, and 40.4% respectively, without significant differences between these 2 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both thoracoscopic and transsternal approaches to thymectomy in patients with MG are effective in terms of remission. The authors advocate adopting the thoracoscopic approach early.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Tian-you
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wanf
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: Jian-ye
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yun-feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.forename: Cheng-yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Huo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000601:surgery*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D013908:Thoracotomy; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors