New keyhole surgery for thymus gland disorder

The conventional procedure of removing the gland after splitting open the chest bone, is painful and complicated leaving a disfiguring long scar, Agarwal said.

Thymectomy, an advancement of the minimal invasive surgical operation, done through keyhole technique is called Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Thymectomy or Vats Thymectomy, he said adding the technique is being used in selected centres in developed countries.

According to him, Vats is 40 per cent cheaper than conventional surgery and spares the patient of heavy doses of pain killers.