Robotic thymectomy: current perspective in myasthenia gravis and thymoma

Thymectomy is an established therapeutic option both in the multidisciplinary approach of nonthymomatous myasthenia gravis and in the treatment of thymoma. Different surgical techniques have been described to perform thymectomy, but transsternal approach is still considered the gold standard. Anyway, in the last decades, minimally invasive techniques have gained attention and widely developed in this surgical field. Among these, robotic thymectomy represents the most modern surgical technique. Different authors have described their experience with robotic thymectomy and from published data it can be considered a safe and feasible operation. Anyway, different issues are still ongoing, both in terms of surgical indications and technique. Particularly, the role of robotic thymectomy in patients with thymoma is still matter of debate, although available results seem promising both from the surgical and oncological point of view.