title: Transcervical video-assisted thymectomy: preliminary results of a modified surgical approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A number of surgical approaches have been reported for thymectomy, including transsternal, transcervical, a combination of complete transsternal and transcervical, and various video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery techniques. A modified video-assisted transcervical approach to thymectomy is here described.
  
  
  METHODS
  A video-assisted total thymectomy was performed through a 30-mm cervical incision. No hyperextension of the patient's neck or sternal retractor was used. The surgical instruments utilized for the resection were the ones created for the minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five patients have been operated on so far. The encapsulated gland was removed without any difficulties. No complications occurred. No pain relief was administered after the first 24 h. The patients were discharged within the first two postoperative days. An improvement in clinical symptoms was registered in all patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An advantage of this minimally invasive video-assisted transcervical approach to thymectomy is that the entire operation can be performed without neck hyperextension or permanent sternum elevation. Moreover, the surgical instruments created for minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy enabled us to be very precise and to complete the resection without any postoperative morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Parma, via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy. lampollini@ao.pr.it
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ampollini
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Del Rio
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sianesi
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rusca
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carbognani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000601:surgery*; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000601:surgery*; D020535:Video-Assisted Surgery; D055815:Young Adult