Preliminary results of VATS thymectomy for pediatric myasthenia gravis

Abstract

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a debilitating disease which necessitates long-term medical therapy. If left untreated, it can have a high mortality rate. The commonest variety in children, the autoimmune variety, often requires recourse to immunomodulation including prolonged usage of high-dose steroids. Thymectomy has not been a popular option among treating clinicians. There is evidence to suggest that if thymectomy is performed early in the disease, it has a high success rate in reducing the doses of the oral steroid medication and also in inducing remission of the disease. We have performed video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) thymectomy in four patients with the autoimmune variety of MG. In this study, we have had a fair and comparable success rate as with the other adult series. On the basis of this preliminary study, we recommend that the option of VATS thymectomy should be offered to select patients of MG.