Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a patient with situs inversus totalis.
Currently, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is an undoubtfully optimal treatment of cholelithiasis. What about performing this procedure on a patient with situs inversus totalis and what are the difficulties of this operation for a right-handed surgeon? We presented a 35-year-old man with unknown situs inversus totalis who was admitted with epigastric pain and digestive problems. Ultrasonography and computed tomography of the abdomen confirmed the diagnosis of a gallstone. Besides, the liver and gallbladder were on the left side and the spleen was on the right. All systems were left-right reversal as mirror image in all diagnostic studies. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was safely performed, despite of difficulties of situs inversus. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 1. It should be considered that existence of other anomalies may easily cause uninvited injuries. In the patients with situs inversus, laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be safely managed by an experienced surgeon through laparoscopy, and also hepatobiliary surgery.
Aydin
Unal
U
Ege University School of Medicine, Bornova, Izmir 35100, Turkey. drunalaydin@yahoo.com
Unalp
Omer
O
Yazici
Pinar
P
Gurcu
Baris
B
Sozbilen
Murat
M
Coker
Ahmet
A
D000328:Adult; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000379:methods*; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D012857:Situs Inversus / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging