Situs inversus. That's what it's called when your vital organs are on the opposite side from the average person.
Today I heard a woman say that one of her relatives had this, although she didn't use the Looney Tunes-y Latin name. At first I thought she meant the cousin was born with vital organs on the outside, a condition that exists and which I think is still pretty much a death sentence. Situs inversus, by comparison, is just a way to keep ER doctors on their toes.
Today I heard a woman say that one of her relatives had this, although she didn't use the Looney Tunes-y Latin name. At first I thought she meant the cousin was born with vital organs on the outside, a condition that exists and which I think is still pretty much a death sentence. Situs inversus, by comparison, is just a way to keep ER doctors on their toes.
2 comments:
I can imagine you got very curious after hearing that conversation - I would have too. It's certainly an unusual condition and likely makes the persona fascinating case study for doctors.
While I'm not planning to do a search for birth defects in regard to vital organs being outside the usual envelope (I hate looking at medical websites), you might be interested to know that when I worked with pediatric urology cases of bladder extrophy were cured by surgery.
It is an interesting condition. Not least because it raises questions of how and why the physical norms got to be what they are in the first place. Why do the vast majority of people have their heart and kidneys in a particular location. And then, how do certain individuals get to be exceptions?
I'm glad that extrophy cases, in some instances, can be treated and rescued. Still wouldn't wish it on anyone.
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