{"id":41940,"date":"2021-10-05T10:02:16","date_gmt":"2021-10-05T16:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=41940"},"modified":"2025-02-28T13:26:12","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T20:26:12","slug":"robotic-thymectomy-the-answer-for-his-myasthenia-gravis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/robotic-thymectomy-the-answer-for-his-myasthenia-gravis\/","title":{"rendered":"Robotic thymectomy the answer for his myasthenia gravis diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Mike
Mike Oster makes a fishing fly. He is an avid fisherman but myasthenia gravis was causing serious health issues until he agreed to a robotic thymectomy. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The tiny thymus gland weighs only an ounce but punches much bigger than its weight as a crucial drill sergeant for the development of the human immune system.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s located behind the sternum and between your lungs, though it is only active until puberty.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thymus is a training center, or what I like to call the \u2018barracks\u2019 for the human body\u2019s immune system,\u201d said Dr. Hao Pan<\/a>, a cardiothoracic surgeon at UCHealth in northern Colorado. \u201cIt trains t-cells to attack foreign invaders and around puberty, it shrinks and turns into a big glob of fat.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it didn\u2019t go that way for Mike Oster, a Fort Collins retiree and avid fisherman. His thymus remained large. Scientists believe that when this happens, the gland may give incorrect instructions to developing immune cells, ultimately causing the immune system to attack its own cells and tissues and produce acetylcholine receptor antibodies \u2013 setting the stage for the attack on neuromuscular transmission, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Mike
Mike Oster enjoying his retirement and fishing after his robotic thymectomy that alleviated his symptoms of myasthenia gravis. Photo courtesy of Mike Oster.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For most of his life, Oster never had significant health issues.\u00a0About five years ago, though, he noticed that he functioned well in the morning but as the day progressed, his muscles became weak and his body so tired he couldn\u2019t make it out to fish or do the other things he enjoyed, like working in his yard. He noticed that a small cut would turn into an infection that would need medical intervention to resolve.<\/p>\n

In December 2019, doctors diagnosed Oster with a neuromuscular condition called myasthenia gravis, a chronic autoimmune disease that leaves muscles \u2014 including those responsible for breathing \u2014 weak when they are not at rest.<\/p>\n

Oster was prescribed a regimen of steroids and hormone medications to curb the symptoms of myasthenia gravis, but Oster did not like the way they made him feel, both mentally and physically.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, medical advancements and research \u2013 closely followed by Dr. Pan — showed that removing the thymus, a surgery called a thymectomy, led to a significant reduction to no disease symptoms for 70% of adult patients.<\/p>\n

Robotic thymectomy for myasthenia gravis<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Dr.
Dr. Hao Pan, a cardiothoracic surgeon at UCHealth in northern Colorado.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During his years of surgical training, Pan performed heart surgeries on infants and small children which gave him a thorough understanding of the function and maturation of the thymus. As Pan progressed into his professional career as an adult cardiothoracic surgeon, now with UCHealth Heart and Vascular Center<\/a>, he often encounters the thymus in adult heart surgery.<\/p>\n

\u201cMyasthenia gravis is no longer a medical disease,\u201d said Pan, the only doctor in northern Colorado performing robot-assisted thymectomy surgery. \u201cIt\u2019s a surgical disease that is drastically minimized with decreased steroid use. And by using the robot (da Vinci Surgical System) to do the surgery, it\u2019s an easily recoverable procedure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Because
Because of myasthenia gravis, Mike Oster would function well in the morning, but as the day progressed his muscles became weak and his body so tired he couldn\u2019t make it out to fish or do the other things he enjoyed, like working in his yard. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Preparing for a robotic thymectomy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Although there was a 1% chance of major bleeding, Oster agreed to the surgery. Using the da Vinci Surgical System for a thymectomy has many benefits, Pan said.<\/p>\n

First, it eliminates the need to split the breastbone to reach the thymus. Because the gland is close to other vital organs, surgical removal requires refined skills and extensive dexterity. Pan uses his skills, with the assistance of the da Vinci Surgical System, to make three 5-millimeter ports on the right side of the chest and one on the left, making sure not to disturb the diaphragm.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was perfectly comfortable with Dr. Pan,\u201d Oster said. \u201cHe was so confident \u2014 he knew what he could do. I wasn\u2019t nervous at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oster’s surgery was scheduled for early March 2020, but then the pandemic hit and his surgery was postponed. Oster continued on the steroid and hormone pills and had surgery in June 2020.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

\"Mike
Mike Oster and his wife, Phyllis, are now enjoying retirement since Mike\u2019s robotic thymectomy helped alleviate his health issues with myasthenia gravis. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Recovering from a thymectomy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The surgery took two hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spent three days in the hospital and then went home and mowed the lawn,\u201d Oster said.<\/p>\n

\"Mike
Mike Oster is an avid fisherman but myasthenia gravis was causing serious health issues until he agreed to a robotic thymectomy. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

His wife, Phyllis, is thrilled with the results. \u201cIt\u2019s made a big difference. He\u2019s healthier, sleeps better and is more active.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mike
Mike Oster hiking after his robotic thymectomy that alleviated his symptoms of myasthenia gravis. Photo courtesy of Mike Oster.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After the thymectomy, Oster addressed some of his other health issues. He spent the next year getting a \u201cgood tune-up,\u201d he said. He had a colonoscopy, knee surgery and a procedure to tame his sleep apnea.<\/p>\n

The couple took monthly road trips in the summer, taking their RV to some of Oster\u2019s favorite mountain fishing spots. He also bought a paddleboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always loved fishing. I grew up in the back of a boat or in the backwoods camping,\u201d he said. \u201cI gained a love for the outdoors, took up fly fishing about 30 years ago and got into tying flies and making my own rods, which I work on in the wintertime.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, it\u2019s very relaxing and an escape. You worry about the basics \u2014 do I have water and food \u2014 and not much else.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s how retirement \u2013 and fishing — should be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The tiny thymus gland weighs only an ounce but punches much bigger than its weight as a crucial drill sergeant for the development of the human immune system. It\u2019s located behind the sternum and between your lungs, though it is only active until puberty. \u201cThe thymus is a training center, or what I like to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2164,"featured_media":41949,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[702],"class_list":["post-41940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-innovative-care","tag-surgical-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRobotic thymectomy the answer for his myasthenia gravis - 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