Is there anyone out there that has had a thymectomy after the age of 50 with success? Please tell me you’re good , bad and indifferent?
I am 51, I have been referred to a surgeon for a thymectomy. My MG specialist says nooooo due to my age, he says it will worsen my symptoms. Any info is greatly appreciated!!
A few questions are in order, Breck. Do you have AChR antibody positive generalized myasthenia gravis? Have you had a CAT scan of your thymus and is it normal or does it indicate a thymoma (tumor)? Have you been responsive to the usual treatment of drugs? Have drug treatment proven intolerable for some reason or another?
I was age 60 when diagnosed with AChR positive gMG. The CAT scan showed a normal thymus. My very good neurologist, like yours, recommended against surgery, and I agreed.
If a tumor is present, surgery is usually recommended. But removing a non-diseased thymus in older patients remains controversial. Such thymectomies are not always effective. Cleveland Clinic says they can usually be done safely up to age 65. But the Association of British Neurologists considers thymectomy a "reasonable treatment option" in non-thymomatous MG patients only for those who are less than 45.
Like most long-term MG patients, I achieve good control of my symptoms with an immunosuppressant. Anesthesia and surgery are a risk for MG patients. In case of infection, antibiotic options are limited. I didn't want to take the risk, considering the good results I could achieve medicinally.
