title: National survey of endoscopic thymectomy: survey report from the Japanese Association for Research on the Thymus.
abstract: Currently, no specific item regarding endoscopic thymectomy for nonthymomatous myasthenia gravis is listed in the standards of deciding medical service fees. To understand the present situation regarding the medical fee-for-service for endoscopic thymectomy, a questionnaire survey was conducted involving the institutions and members participating in the Japanese Association for Research on the Thymus. Of 101 responding institutions, 18 (18%) reported basically performing endoscopic thymectomy in all qualifying patients, and 32% of the institutions reported mainly performing median sternotomy but sometimes performing endoscopic thymectomy. The methods of approaching endoscopic thymectomy varied among the institutions, but most included endoscopic clips or ultrasound-driven scalpels as well as anterior chest wall lifting devices. A total of 214 patients underwent thymectomy in 2004 in the responding institutions, of whom 77 patients (32%) underwent endoscopic thymectomy. In total, 71% of the responding institutions answered that a specific item regarding endoscopic thymectomy should be listed in the standards for deciding medical service fees.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan. shiono@oph.gr.jp
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shiono
authors.forename: Meinoshin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Kosei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasumoto
mesh_terms: D004724:Endoscopy / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018588:Fee-for-Service Plans; D017048:Health Care Costs; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012955:Societies, Medical; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data