Sharda Hospital Performs Complex Gallbladder Surgery on Teen with Situs Inversus with Levocardia

Uttar Pradesh: A 15-year-old girl with a rare condition known as situs inversus with levocardia was recently treated for multiple gallbladder stones at Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida. The surgery was performed by Dr. Vijay Anand, Consultant – Minimally Invasive and General Surgery.

The patient came to the hospital complaining of severe abdominal pain. Clinical evaluation and imaging confirmed the presence of multiple gallstones.

During the diagnostic process, doctors also discovered that the girl had situs inversus with levocardia, a congenital condition where some or all of the abdominal organs are reversed from their usual positions, while the heart remains on the left side.

Unlike complete situs inversus, in which all thoracic and abdominal organs are mirrored, this form is much rarer, occurring in fewer than 1 in 10,000 people.

Operating on patients with such anatomical variations can be especially challenging. The reversed organ positions require a different approach to surgical planning and execution. In this case, the surgical team had to adapt each step of the procedure accordingly.

Dr. Vijay Anand, Consultant – Minimally Invasive and General Surgery, Sharda Hospital, explained, "This case required careful planning and a tailored surgical approach. In patients with situs inversus, the anatomy is a mirror image of the normal. With the heart in its usual position and the abdominal organs transposed, we had to mentally reverse every step of the laparoscopic surgery."

"These operations test both precision and experience. We performed a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a minimally invasive procedure to remove the gallbladder by making small incisions and using a camera-guided instrument. Though the altered anatomy extended the usual surgical time, the operation was completed successfully without complications," he further added.

The patient responded well to the treatment and was discharged two days after the surgery. Her recovery was smooth, and no post-operative complications were reported.