Robotic-assisted removal of a large thymoma.

Abstract

An anterior mediastinal mass can comprise a wide variety of benign and malignant tumours that can present with diverse clinical symptoms. Diagnosis often requires multiple imaging modalities along with laboratory tests and, in specific cases, tissue biopsies. Upfront tumour resection is often preferred in cases with a substantial suspicion of malignancy whenever complete resection is deemed possible. We present a relatively common case of a substantial anterior mediastinal mass with a high suspicion of thymoma in a 73-year-old male patient without myasthenia gravis. Based on his computed tomography scan, a 3-dimensional model was built. Upfront resection without neo-adjuvant therapy was deemed feasible and therefore preferable. A DaVinci robot-assisted 3-port resection of the tumour was performed from the patient's left side. The intra- and postoperative courses were uneventful, after which the patient was discharged home on postoperative day 3.