Myasthenia Gravis

Abstract

In their study "Impact of the Surgical Approach to Thymectomy Upon Complete Stable Remission Rates in Myasthenia Gravis: A Meta-analysis,"1 Dr. Solis-Pazmino and colleagues tried to answer what sounds like a simple question: what type of surgery is best for myasthenia gravis (MG)? Most would agree that the "best" surgery is the one that has the most effect with the fewest complications. Another way of saying this is that the best surgery has the lowest risk with the highest benefit. Nowadays, there are many different types of surgery for MG. As technology has advanced, so have surgical approaches. Modern approaches often use minimally invasive techniques, sometimes with the aid of robots. These delicate surgeries can achieve goals that previously could only be accomplished with more invasive methods. The question asked by Dr. Solis-Pazmino et al. seems simple at first, but the path to finding the answer turns out to be complicated.