Thymus cancer treatment with thymus removal surgery

Thymus removal surgery, or thymectomy, is a golden standard in treating thymus cancer. Mostly, surgeons prefer to remove the organ. Still, in case of specific indications (e. g. , for kids), only a part of the organ might be removed. Conducting a full-fledged general health examination and ensuring no severe contraindications inherent for the patient before starting the preparation for thymus surgery is essential. Thymectomy requires complete anesthesia, so doctors must be sure that the patient will more likely be able to handle all risks and possible narcosis complications. Thoracic surgeons often use the median sternotomy (a cut in the middle of the breastbone) to reach the thymus. Next, they remove the tumor and the organ (or tumor and nearest organ’s parts) and closely look if any surrounding tissues and organs were involved in the cancerous process. If they find any signs of malignant presence in the nearest tissues and organs, they remove them too. Finally, surgeons remove equipment or consumables from the chest cavity and stitch the breastbone (usually with bone clips) and soft tissues above the breastbone. The patient has to stay in the clinic for at least a few following days after the operation. Thus medical practitioners might ensure that the surgery doesn’t lead to any severe complications and that the patient is ready to go home.