Minimally Invasive Surgery for Thymoma Video - Brigham and Women's Hospital

Scott J. Swanson, MD, Director of Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and his patient describe minimally invasive surgery to remove a thymoma. A thymoma is a tumor or cancer of the thymus gland. The thymus gland is a butterfly shaped organ that sits behind the breastplate and in front of the heart, next to some major veins. Normally, to get to access the thymus gland and remove a thymoma surgeons would need to cut the breastplate and open the chest. This is a major surgery associated with a long recovery process. At Brigham and Women's Hospital, thoracic surgeons are able to access the thymus gland and surgically remove a thymoma using minimally invasive techniques, through several small incisions. Healing and recovery times are reduced using a minimally invasive approach. Learn more about minimally invasive treatment for thymoma at Brigham and Women's Hospital: https://www.brighamandwomens.org/lung...