Surgical treatment of myasthenia by thymectomy.

From 1967 to 1973 Thymectomies for Myasthenia gravis have been done at the Zakopane Chest Surgery Hospital. Preoperative duration of the disease was some 2 1/2 years. Histological types: Thymoma 6, Thymus persistens 61, malignant lymphatical growth 1. Postoperatively 9 patients had a myasthenic, 6 a cholinergic crisis. These and other respiratory troubles made necessary 14 prolonged intubations and 6 tracheostomies. Depending on the clinical picture small doses of cholinergic drugs were given. Lethality was 1.5%. Long-term results (1/2-6 years p.o.):22.6% needed no drug therapy, and 62.9% only in small doses, 6.5% showed subjective improvement and 6.5% no change.