Stephanie,

I believe the thorascopic thymectomy is similar to what I had done in December 09. Mine was done robotically with 3 small (about 1 inch) incisions at the top and right side of my right breast. My cardio-thoracic surgeon is the director of the robotics program at one of Cincinnati's largest hospitals. I was just getting over a MG crisis for which I was hospitalized and had completed 4 plasma exchanges, when they moved up my surgery to do it while I was in the hospital rather than send me home and do it a couple weeks later. I had surgery on a Friday and went home the following Monday. Little to no pain after the drainage tube was removed within 24 hours of surgery. As a matter of fact, I didn't need any pain medication after that dang tube was removed. No stitches, just tape over the 3 small incisions. I'm having my final post-op visit with the surgeon later this week (almost 9 weeks since surgery).

If your surgery is similar to this, you will be just fine. It is way less invasive than trans-sternal. How severe are your MG symptoms at the present time?

Kathy