Robotic Thymectomy Surgery

At Lee Health, we undertand the word "surgery" can be scary, but it doesn't have to be. If you or a loved one require surgery, it is vital that you review your options and find the most effective and least invasive option for you.

After a diagnosis, you may have questions and wonder what these medical terms mean. We always want our patients to leave with a full understanding of what their diagnosis means and what their tretament options are. 

What is a thymectomy?

A thymectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the thymus gland located underneath the breast bone. This operation is commonly performed on those diagnosed with myasthenia gravis and thymoma, a tumor of the thymus gland. 

The newest removal method utilizes a robot to assist in the procedure. At Lee Health, we use the da Vinci™ XI Robot Sytem, which allows our surgeons to operate through small openings and gives the most precise results. 

With the da Vinci™ XI robot, our doctors can operate through only a few small incisions. The robot has a magnified 3D high-definition vision system and can perform movements greater than those of a surgeron's hand. The robot allows your surgeon to have better vision, increasing the control they have and the overall preciseness of the operation. 

The da Vinci XI robot provides alternatives to a sternotomy and the VATS procedure. This less-invasive surgery will be monitored by your surgeon the whole time and allows for more precision. 

Compared to its alternatives, the da Vinci offers benefits such as:

• Significantly less pain 
• Less blood loss
• Less scarring due to smaller incisions
• A shorter hospital stay
• A quicker recovery
• A speedier return to daily life activities

What happens during the procedure?

During the robotic thymectomy surgery, the surgeon will make three small incisions, about a half-inch long, on the patient's chest. A microscopic camera and specially designed surgical instruments are then placed inside of the incision. These instruments are subsequently attached to the da Vinci robot's arms and the surgeon uses a console to control their every move.

From there, the surgeon carefully dissects the thymus gland from the surrounding structures and extracts it through the incision. Once the tymus gland has been removed, the incisions will be sutured and the procedue is complete.