Comparison of Early Results of Thoracoscopic Thymectomy in Patients with Myasthenia Gravis

Background: Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease affecting the neuromuscular junction, and the role of the thymus is well understood. This study aimed to investigate the early results of thoracoscopic thymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis, as there have been limited studies on this topic in Iran despite research in other parts of the world. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included myasthenia gravis patients who were admitted to Al-Zahra hospital in Isfahan and underwent thoracoscopic thymectomy during 2021-2022. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Results: The mean age of the patients studied was 45.5±12.25 years, including 15 male patients and 35 female patients. Patients who underwent surgery within one year of diagnosis and those who had surgery between one and two years after diagnosis were equal in number (20), while only 10 patients experienced surgical treatment more than two years after their diagnosis. According to the Osserman classification, the majority of patients (48%) were in grade 3, while the minority (8%) were in grade 4. Surgical complications occurred in 22% of the patients, with the most common being myasthenia gravis crisis in 10% of cases (P>0.05). Additionally, 12% experienced complete recovery, 60% had partial recovery, 20% showed no response, and 8% had exacerbated symptoms. The study found no statistically significant relationship between patients’ age (P>0.05), gender (P>0.05), disease severity (P>0.05), complications (P>0.05), recovery, and time of disease diagnosis (P>0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that patients with myasthenia gravis in the early years of diagnosis who undergo thymectomy surgery will not show a difference in the rate of complications and a better response to treatment.