Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for lung cancer in a patient with complete situs inversus

Abstract

Complete situs inversus is a rare abnormality of autosomal recessive inheritance; it requires particular care during surgery, because the viscus anatomy is a mirror image of the normal anatomy. Reports of surgery for lung cancer in cases of complete situs inversus are very rare. Here, we report a case of lobectomy for lung cancer of the right lower lobe performed using video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in a patient with complete situs inversus. We emphasize the importance of careful examination of the relationship between the bronchus, pulmonary artery, and pulmonary vein in the hilum of the lung in cases of complete situs inversus requiring lung resection for cancer; this is even more necessary when VATS is performed.