Thymectomy
A thymectomy is the surgical removal of the thymus gland. The thymus—located in the upper chest behind the breast bone—plays an important role in the development of MG. In most myasthenics, the thymus is abnormal. Some individuals develop thymomas or tumors on the thymus gland. Generally thymomas are benign, but in rare cases they can become malignant.
Doctors recommend thymectomies for individuals with thymomas and for many patients under age 60 with moderate to severe generalized myasthenia. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, surgery reduces MG symptoms in more than 70 percent of patients who don’t have a thymoma, possibly by re-balancing the immune system. This improvement, however, is unpredictable and may take several months or several years after surgery to occur.
Reviewed by the MGF of Illinois Medical Advisory Board, September 2008.