Robotic thoracic surgery for resection of thymoma and tumors of the thymus: technical development and initial experience

To evaluate the results of resection of tumors of the thymus by robotic thoracic surgery, analyzing the extent of resection, postoperative complications, time of surgery, and length of stay. Retrospective study from a database involving patients diagnosed with a tumor of the thymus and undergoing robotic thoracic surgery at one of seven hospitals in Brazil between October of 2015 and June of 2018. During the study period, there were 18 cases of resection of tumors of the thymus: thymoma, in 12; carcinoma, in 2; and carcinoid tumor, in 1; high-grade sarcoma, in 1; teratoma, in 1; and thymolipoma, in 1. The mean lesion size was 60.1 ± 32.0 mm. Tumors of the thymus were resected with tumor-free margins in 17 cases. The median (interquartile range) for pleural drain time and hospital stay, in days, was 1 (1-3) and 2 (2-4), respectively. There was no need for surgical conversion, and there were no major complications. Robotic thoracic surgery for resection of tumors of the thymus has been shown to be feasible and safe, with a low risk of complications and with postoperative outcomes comparable to those of other techniques.