Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2004; 52(1): 54-56
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-815803
Original Thoracic

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

The Figure-L Unilateral Mini-Sternotomy for Anterior Mediastinal Tumor

S.-I. Watanabe 1 , S. Shimokawa 1 , K.-I. Sakasegawa 1 , Y. Nakamura 1 , K. Kariatsumari 1 , H. Oyama 1 , R. Sakata 1
  • 1Second Department of Surgery, Kagoshima University Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima, Japan
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

Received May 19, 2003

Publikationsdatum:
04. März 2004 (online)

Abstract

We performed a figure-L unilateral mini-sternotomy for anterior mediastinal tumor resection in ten patients. Pathological diagnosis among the ten included six thymomas, three mature teratomas including one with a seminoma component, and one thymic cyst. Mean tumor length was 7 × 5 × 4 cm. The required skin incision was 8 cm in mean length. The third intercostal space was transected in six cases, the fourth intercostal space in four cases. Bilateral internal thoracic arteries were preserved in all cases. All tumors were completely resected without complications during the procedure. Mean operating time was 106 minutes (range 85 to 120 minutes). Postoperative hospital stay ranged from three to seven days without any complications. All patients were alive at the end of a mean follow-up period of 39 months (range 3 to 60 months). The figure-L unilateral mini-sternotomy is considered an effective and useful minimally invasive approach for anterior mediastinal tumors.

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Dr. Shun-Ichi Watanabe

Second Department of Surgery · Kagoshima University Faculty of Medicine

8-35-1 Sakuragaoka

Kagoshima 890-8520

Japan

Telefon: + 81992755368

Fax: + 81 9 92 65 81 77

eMail: shun@khosp2.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp