The patient was admitted to E Hospital with severe abdominal pain, a high fever of 39 degrees Celsius, and jaundice. The diagnosis revealed a bile duct infection, biliary obstruction, and acute pancreatitis caused by common bile duct stones. Imaging showed all his organs, including the heart, liver, and stomach, were mirrored from their normal positions. This is a congenital anomaly called situs inversus totalis (complete organ reversal).

Doctor Nguyen Khac Diep from the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery stated that complete situs inversus occurs in only about 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 20,000 people. While this condition doesn't increase the risk of gallstones, it presents a significant challenge for diagnosis and surgery.

Clinical symptoms and anatomical structures are reversed, requiring doctors to think and operate contrary to their usual practice. For example, liver and gallbladder pain, typically felt in the right upper quadrant, occurs on the left side in these patients, the doctor explained.

Doctors performing surgery on the patient. Photo: Thanh Xuan

Given the unique nature of the case, a multidisciplinary consultation was held to determine the best course of action. The patient received intensive medical treatment to stabilize the infection and acute pancreatitis before undergoing open surgery to remove the common bile duct stones.

Doctor Huu Hoai Anh, who directly participated in the surgery, shared that because the stomach, duodenum, liver, and biliary tract were all anatomically altered, dissecting and locating the structures was extremely difficult. The entire surgical team had to adapt their thinking and perform the procedure in reverse to ensure accuracy. The surgery was successful, and the patient is now in stable condition.

Gallstones are a common digestive disease, but if not treated promptly, they can lead to dangerous complications such as biliary tract inflammation, acute pancreatitis, and even septic shock and death. Doctors advise that if people experience symptoms such as pain in the upper abdomen, fever, or jaundice, they should immediately seek medical attention for timely examination and treatment to avoid unfortunate risks.