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Thoracoscopic Thymectomy

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The SAGES Manual of Pediatric Minimally Invasive Surgery

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Abstract

The thymus is located in the superior mediastinum and is the site for generation of T cells. Thymectomy is indicated in patients with thymic cyst, thymoma, and non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis, among others. These conditions are rare in pediatric patients, which make the conduct of prospective, randomized, controlled study to evaluate treatment outcomes and efficacy challenging. Thoracoscopic thymectomy is increasingly chosen over open sternotomy or cervical approach in both adult and pediatric patients. The thoracoscopic approach is equally effective in terms of achieving an adequate resection, with the added benefit of decreased pain, shorter length of stay, and improved cosmesis that allows earlier stage disease to be treated. In this chapter, thymic anatomy and physiology, surgical indications, operative technique, and postoperative management are discussed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Christine M. Leeper

  2. Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh, One Children’s Hospital Drive, 4401 Penn Avenue, Faculty Pavilion 7136, Pittsburgh, PA, 15215, USA

    Stefan Scholz

Authors
  1. Christine M. Leeper
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  2. Stefan Scholz
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Correspondence to Stefan Scholz .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Surgery, East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, North Carolina, USA

    Danielle S. Walsh

  2. Northeast Ohio Medical College Division of Pediatric Surgery, Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, Ohio, USA

    Todd A. Ponsky

  3. Division of Pediatric Surgery, Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, Ohio, USA

    Nicholas E. Bruns

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© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Leeper, C.M., Scholz, S. (2017). Thoracoscopic Thymectomy. In: Walsh, D., Ponsky, T., Bruns, N. (eds) The SAGES Manual of Pediatric Minimally Invasive Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43642-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43642-5_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-43640-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-43642-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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