For decades, routine thymus removal (thymectomy) during cardiac surgery was considered standard practice, based on the belief that the thymus becomes inactive and functionally irrelevant after childhood. However, new evidence challenges this long-held assumption. A landmark observational study published in the New England Journal of Medicine evaluated long-term outcomes in adults who underwent thymectomy during cardiac surgery. The findings raise important questions about the routine removal of the thymus in adult patients. Key Findings Within five years of surgery, patients who underwent thymectomy had: Nearly double the risk of developing cancer (7.4% vs.
3.7%) Nearly three times the risk of all-cause mortality (8.1% vs. 2.8%) compared with matched patients who underwent similar cardiac procedures while retaining their thymus. Why Does It Matter? Although the thymus gradually shrinks…
