[Surgical treatment of myasthenia gravis in children using transsternal thymectomy]. / Tratamiento quirúrgico de la miastenia gravis en niños mediante timectomía transesternal.

Myasthenia gravis is an inmunological disease infrecuent during childhood. In recent years, thymectomy has gained increasing acceptance as the most effective treatment for acheiving sustained improvement in patients affected of myasthenia gravis. We report our experience in five children treated by trassternal radical thymectomy in the last five years. This patients were clinically staged following Osserman's classification as stage IIB (three cases) and stage III (two cases). All of them are in complete remission after a mean postoperative period of thirty three months. We add a review of the literature comparing the differents surgical approaches for thymectomy and its results in children.

[Our experience with the treatment of congenital megacolon using mechanical sutures]. / Nuestra experiencia en el tratamiento del megacolon congénito con sutura mecánica.

The DUHAMEL operation is widely used for the treatment of HIRSCHSPRUNG disease. Recently, technical modifications using stapled instruments have been introduced. The results of 12 patients treated between 1985 and 1989, performing the DUHAMEL procedure are reviewed. We perform with mechanical sutures, both surgical stages, e.g. abdominal and perineal. The technique for the procedure is described. Since we introduce the technique, we have observed several advantages consisting in a shorter surgical time, earlier normal life pattern, less postoperative complications and better results in clinical evolution.