Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31032201›Full record

ReviewAnnals of cardiothoracic surgery2019

A systematic review of robotic versus open and video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) approaches for thymectomy.

Katie E O'Sullivan, Usha S Kreaden, April E Hebert, Donna Eaton, Karen C Redmond

Open access · diamondAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Annals of cardiothoracic surgery, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 68 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
68citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
8.3field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

68 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 120 citations in OpenAlex.

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  4. Myasthenia Gravis and Thymoma.Muscle & nerve · 2026
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8 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Katie E O'SullivanDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles St., Dublin, Ireland.
Usha S KreadenClinical Affairs, Intuitive Surgical Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA.
April E HebertClinical Affairs, Intuitive Surgical Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA.
Donna EatonDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles St., Dublin, Ireland.
Karen C RedmondDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles St., Dublin, Ireland.
Mater Misericordiae University Hospital · IEIntuitive Surgical (United States) · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMedian sternotomy has been the most commonly used approach for thymectomy to date. Recent advances in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and robotic access with CO

methodsA systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines using PubMed, Embase and Scopus databases. Original research articles comparing robotic to VATS or to open thymectomy for myasthenia gravis, anterior mediastinal masses, or thymomas were included. Meta-analyses were performed for mortality, operative time, blood loss, transfusions, length of stay, conversion to open, intraoperative and postoperative complication rates, and positive/negative margin rates.

resultsRobotic thymectomy is a valid alternative to the open approach; advantages include: reduced blood loss [weighted mean difference (WMD): -173.03, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): -305.90, -40.17, P=0.01], fewer postoperative complications (odds ratio: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.60, P<0.00001), a shorter hospital stay (WMD: -2.78, 95% CI: -3.22, -2.33, P<0.00001), and a lower positive margin rate (relative difference: -0.04, 95% CI: -0.07, -0.01, P=0.01), with comparable operative times (WMD: 6.73, 95% CI: -21.20, 34.66, P=0.64). Robotic thymectomy was comparable with the VATS approach; both have the advantage of avoiding median sternotomy.

conclusionsWhile randomized controlled studies are required to make definitive conclusions, current data suggests that robotic thymectomy is superior to open surgery and comparable to a VATS approach. Long-term follow-up is required to further delineate oncological outcomes.

Indexed as

da VinciroboticThymectomyvideo-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)

Identifiers

PMID31032201
PMCPMC6462547
OpenAlexW2921747052

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.