RÉSUMÉ
Objective To identify the availability of video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy. Methods Retrospectively analyzed 68 patients with myasthenia gravis who underwent thymectomy including 34 cases of video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy and 34 cases of transsternal thymectomy,and the patients were followed up for 16 years. Results Patients of the VATS group were given video-assisted thora-coscopic thymectomy. The mean operative time was (90. 1 ± 15. 0) min,mean blood loss was (45. 0 ± 5. 5) mL,mean chest tube drainage time was (2. 5 ± 1. 2) days and mean postoperative hospital stay was (7. 0 ± 1. 2) days in VATS group,and there was no serious complica-tions and surgical death. The mean operative time was (98. 0 ± 12. 5) min,mean blood loss was (118. 5 ± 17. 5) mL,mean chest tube drain-age time was (4. 5 ± 1. 3) days and mean postoperative hospital stay was (11. 0 ± 2. 5) days in transsternal thymectomy group. 3 patients de-veloped MG crisis. There was no significant difference in mid-and long-term effects between the two groups(P>0. 05). ConclusionVideo-as-sisted thoracoscopic thymectomy for MG is safe and feasible with the advantage of less invasion,less surgical trauma,lower rate of complica-tion,and good curative effect compared with transsternal thymectomy.