Situs inversus is a congenital condition where the major visceral organs are reversed or mirrored from their normal positions, making it so the heart is on the right side of the thorax rather than the left. The condition includes not only the heart but the stomach, spleen, liver, gall bladder and intestines, as well as all of their respective nerves and blood vessels. It occurs in less than 1 in 10,000 people. The condition was first seen and drawn by Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th or 16th century, but wasn't described until the 18th. The condition generally doesn't affect the health of people who have it any more than that of those who don't. Most people are unaware they even have opposite organs until they seek medical attention for an unrelated problem. This can sometimes cause confusion when signs and symptoms are on the wrong side. Organ transplantation can be complicated being that situs inversus not only means the organs are on the other side, but they're mirrored, and the orientation of what needs to be attached doesn't fit as easily. The condition can often be found in one of a set of identical twins, who knew?
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