A protocol for the perioperative management of thymectomy for myasthenia gravis patients / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To develop a standard and procedural protocol for the perioperative management of thymectomy for myasthenia gravis(MG) patients and thus to reduce the incidence of MG crisis.Methods From June 1996 to March 2016,466 MG cases received thymectomy we continuously explored key technologies of surgical treatment for MG 466 patients,there were 209 male cases and 259 female cases,with age ranging from 5 to 77 years and chief complaint history ranging from 12 days to 18 years.Symptoms included drooping eyelids,double vision,weakness,shortness of breath,coughing,dysarthria,and difficulties in swallowing and chewing.According to the modified Osserman classification,there were 248 type Ⅰ MG cases,58 type Ⅱa MG cases,66 type Ⅱb MG cases,71 type Ⅲ MG cases,and 23 type Ⅳ MG cases respectively.116 cases received thymecotomy via full sternotomy,204 cases via J type semi-sternotomy,and 146 case via thoracoscopy (including 13 cases via sub-xiphoid approach).Results Perioperatively one case died of sudden death,another patient died of respiratory failure after the second operation for metastatic thymoma,with a mortality rate of 0.42％ (2/466);13 cases had M G crisis (13/466);Six cases underwent tracheotomy (6/466);2 cases had plasmapheresis hypotonic syndrome (accounting for 3.4％ in plasmapheresis cases) and were reoperated to stop bleeding.Postoperatively pathological diagnosis was made,including three thymic atrophy cases,272 thymic hyperplasia cases,178 thymoma cases,and 13 thymic cyst cases.Conclusion A standard and procedural protocol for the perioperative management of thymectomy for MG patients can be developed,which can reduce the morbidity of MG crisis and the incidence of tracheotomy.