Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for left-sided gall bladder in situs inversus totalis patient, a technically demanding procedure

摘要

Situs inversus is a condition in which the anatomical viscera are placed in a reverse anatomical location, it may be partial affecting the thoracic organs or the abdominal organs, or total affecting both.A 28-year-old man who was a known case of situs inversus totalis presented with epigastric pain and left hypochondrial pain. ultrasound revealed multiple gall stones in a left-sided gall bladder, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was done successfully for him with no complications.Patient position during surgery and the sites of the laparoscopic ports greatly affect the performance during surgery. Identification of the anatomical structures which are arranged in a mirror image pattern is the key for successful surgery. The critical view of safety should be identified before any structure is clipped or divided.A right-handed surgeon will feel more impairment during surgery for a left-sided gall bladder, while a left-handed surgeon will do it with better comfort. Surgeries for such cases are better to be performed by a surgeon with massive experience in laparoscopy or by a hepatobiliary surgeon, it may not be suitable for surgeons in training. MRCP will show the biliary anatomy prior to surgery and CT-scan with dual phase contrast will help to show any associated vascular abnormalities.