Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a patient with situs inversus totalis

Abstract

Situs inversus totalis (SIT) is a rare congenital anomaly, in which both the thoracic and the abdominal viscera are transposed to the opposite side of the body. The diagnosis of surgical diseases in patients with SIT is often delayed, leading to complications. Surgery in these patients has been reported to be more challenging for right-handed surgeons. We herein present a case of a 30-year-old woman, not known to have SIT, with a history of intermittent left upper quadrant pain related to food for more than a year. After clinical examination, chest X-ray, and abdominal ultrasound, she was diagnosed with SIT and chronic cholecystitis, and underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed by a right-handed surgeon. We believe that this case report will be informative for surgeons in managing chronic cholecystitis in patients with SIT, and for physicians to always look for clues for SIT in patients presenting with abdominal pain.