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A thymectomy is an operation to remove the thymus. It usually results in remission of myasthenia gravis with the help of medication including steroids. However, this remission may not be permanent. Thymectomy is indicated when thymoma are present in the thymus. Anecdotal evidence suggests MG patients with no evidence of thymoma may still benefit from thymectomy, thus the procedure is (unless and until a much-discussed clinical survey ever reaches a contraindicatory conclusion) commonly prescribed. ==Surgical approaches== There are a number of surgical approaches to the removal of the thymus gland: transsternal (through the breast bone), transcervical (through a small neck incision), transthoracic (through one or both sides of the chest.) * The transsternal approach is most common and uses the same length-wise incision through the sternum (breast bone) used for most open-heart surgery. It is espoused by surgeons such as Alfred Jaretzki and is the most commonly performed procedure due to its relative simplicity. * The transcervical approach is a less invasive procedure that allows for removal of the entire thymus gland through a small neck incision There has been no difference in success in symptom improvement between the transsternal approach and the minimally invasive transcervical approach. Video-assisted approaches, such as laparoscopic surgery, are increasingly prescribed since the less invasive nature of the procedure strikes a balance with the lack of actual clinical evidence supporting thymectomy in non-thymomal cases. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Thymectomy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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