Thymothymectomy with pulmonary partial resection using the subxiphoid approach: how to do it?

An open approach by sternotomy is still selected for locally advanced anterior mediastinal tumors. Technical and instrumental improvements to video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) have enabled the treatment of anterior mediastinal tumor in the last decade, and the indications of VATS for an anterior mediastinal tumor are thus expanding. Recently, a single-port thymectomy procedure using the subxiphoid approach has gained popularity worldwide because of its low invasiveness. Improvements to the thoracoscopic instruments and the development of a single-port device are expanding the adoption of single-port VATS in the thoracic surgical field, including resection of anterior mediastinal tumors. We, herein, report a case of thymothymectomy with pulmonary partial resection using the subxiphoid approach. This approach is useful for extended operation for anterior mediastinal tumors and provides favorable results regarding postoperative pain and cosmetic outcomes.