title: Single-port thymectomy through an infrasternal approach.
abstract: We report a surgical procedure in which a port and devices designed for single-incision endoscopic surgery are employed for thymectomy through an infrasternal approach. As this single-port thymectomy procedure can be performed through a single 3.5-cm incision in the abdominal region usually concealed under clothes, it is esthetically excellent and is among the least invasive thymectomy procedures because no sternal incision is applied and no intercostal nerve is injured. Investigation of the safety of this procedure and long-term therapeutic outcomes for myasthenia gravis and anterior mediastinal tumors is necessary.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan. suda@fujita-hu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugimura
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tochii
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kihara
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hattori
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000601:surgery*; D056346:Sternotomy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D020708:Thoracoscopes; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000379:methods*