Kastamonu University Faculty of Medicine and Kastamonu Training and Research Hospital (KEAH) have added another success to their medical achievements. A laparoscopic (minimally invasive) gallbladder surgery was performed at KEAH on a patient born with situs inversus totalis, a condition where all internal organs are reversed in position. The surgery was carried out by Dr. Lecturer Yasin Alper Yıldız from the Department of General Surgery at Kastamonu University Faculty of Medicine.
Surgical intervention in situs inversus totalis cases, which are extremely rare worldwide, requires unique expertise due to the different anatomical positioning of the organs. The patient, who sought medical attention at KEAH due to pain on the left side, was diagnosed with gallstone-related pain following medical examinations. Being already aware of their organ inversion, the patient trusted the doctors at Kastamonu University Faculty of Medicine and agreed to undergo surgery.
Since the patient had a medical history of bronchiectasis (airway dilation in the lungs) and had experienced lung bleeding during a previous surgery, the anesthesia method was altered to minimize surgical risks under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Zahide Doğanay and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yılmaz from the Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation at Kastamonu University Faculty of Medicine, the patient was administered regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia.
Situs inversus cases require advanced surgical skills due to their technical differences from standard gallbladder surgeries. The operation, completed by Dr. Lecturer Yasin Alper Yıldız, resulted in a positive outcome, and the patient was discharged in good health.
Dr. Lecturer Yasin Alper Yıldız emphasized that many surgical procedures are successfully performed in collaboration between the General Surgery Clinic and the Surgical Oncology Clinic in Kastamonu. He stated:
"Patients who previously had to travel to major cities like Ankara and Istanbul no longer need to do so. Colon, liver, and pancreatic cancer cases, laparoscopic hernia surgeries, numerous other laparoscopic procedures, and endoscopic interventions are now successfully performed within KEAH, thanks to our university's academic infrastructure and the modern facilities of our hospital, reaching a level that competes with major cities."
