Laparoscopic surgery in situs inversus:: a literature review and a report of laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for diverticulitis in situs inversus

Background: Situs inversus (SI) is a rare autosomal recessive congenital defect in which the position of abdominal and/or thoracic organs is a mirror image of the normal one, in the sagittal plain. In 25% of these cases, SI is part of the Kartagener syndrome, together with bronchiectasis and chronic sinusitis. Methods: We present a case of a patient with Kartagener syndrome and complete SI that was laparoscopically operated on for diverticulitis. We also review the published English information available on this rare condition. Results: A review of the literature revealed another single case of laparoscopic sigmoidectomy and 27 cases of other laparoscopic interventions in the presence of SI. Those laparoscopic procedures included basic procedures such as explorations and cholecystectomies, as well as advanced procedures such as gastrectomy and gastric bypass. Conclusion: The laparoscopic approach is feasible in cases of SI, although technically more complicated because of the different position of the organs and the different laparoscopic view of the anatomy.