A Nigerian medical tourist who flew in for a gall bladder stone removal surgery to the UAE was diagnosed for the first time with a case of Situs Inversus Totalis’ and treated accordingly.
Doctors diagnosed her heart on right side of her chest during initial tests. Situs Inversus Totalis is an extremely rare condition that occurs in 0.01 per cent of the global population. In patients with this genetic condition, the organs in the chest and abdomen are found in a mirror image of their normal position. People with this condition often have other abnormalities like congenital heart disorders, lung problems, sinusitis, etc.
During a routine ultrasound before gall bladder stone removal surgery, doctors at the Medeor Hospital, Dubai made this unusual discovery in the 39-year old Patience Okoduwa who had flown in from Lagos, Nigeria.
Unusual Discovery
Okoduwa had sought treatment for abdominal pain at different hospitals in her home country before choosing the UAE but had not found any right help. She zeroed in on Dubai’s Medeor Hospital. At the hospital, she underwent an ultrasound test to confirm the presence of gall bladder stones. To the radiologist’s surprise, the ultrasound revealed that Okoduwa also suffered from the rare, congenital organ reversal condition.
