Good evening!
I had a trans sternal thymectomy 2+ years ago, no thymoma but my thymus was enlarged (9cm by 11cm).
You're going to hear and read all sorts of opinions about thymectomy procedures. If it were me and I possibly had a tumor I'd want to be opened wide to make sure they see and get everything (yes, I know the less invasive methods are supposed to be just as reliable.)
I have not had any MG symptoms since a couple weeks after surgery and haven't taken any meds since then. I am a 53 year old female.
Yes, it hurt, but the pain meds did their job. For me, the absolute worst part of the recovery was not being able to sleep on my side for 9 weeks due to the sternum pain, but that also varies from person to person.
I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about the surgery either here on the board or message me.