ReviewMediastinum (Hong Kong, China)2026
The expanding role of robotic surgery in thymectomy: a narrative review.
Review in Mediastinum (Hong Kong, China), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background and Objective: Surgical resection for thymic epithelial tumors has traditionally been performed via a median sternotomy or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). In recent years, however, robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) has been increasingly adopted as a minimally invasive alternative, with a growing number of reports. This review summarizes the progress achieved to date and outlines future perspectives in robot-assisted thymectomy. Methods: This narrative review was conducted through a structured literature search of PubMed, including articles published up to November 2025. The search strategy combined the terms ("thymectomy"[MeSH] OR thymectomy) AND ("video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery" OR VATS OR "robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery" OR RATS OR "robotic surgery"). Eligible articles included original clinical studies, comparative analyses, large case series, and selected case reports evaluating robotic approaches to thymectomy. Both retrospective and prospective studies were considered. Non-English-language publications were excluded. Reference lists of relevant articles were also manually screened to identify additional pertinent studies. Given the narrative nature of this review, no formal meta-analysis was performed. Key Content and Findings: This review traces the evolution of robotic surgery in thymectomy, evaluates current evidence regarding indications and perioperative/oncologic outcomes, and examines the expanding array of surgical approaches enabled by contemporary robotic platforms. It also highlights emerging technologies and future directions that may shape the continued advancement of robotic thymectomy. By integrating these themes, the review synthesizes the existing evidence base and provides a framework for anticipating the future trajectory of this technique. Conclusions: Accumulating evidence on robot-assisted thymectomy suggests that further innovations and refinements in surgical techniques will continue to emerge. As the technology evolves and surgical expertise deepens, these advancements are expected not only to enhance operative precision and safety but also to broaden the indications of the robotic approach, potentially allowing its application to more extensive and complex procedures in the future.
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Registered trials
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 Socratic graph.