As hearts and livers are chiral, geometric problems arise placing an organ into a cavity shaped in the mirror image. For example, a person with situs inversus who requires a heart transplant needs all their great vessels reattached to the donor heart. However, the orientation of these vessels in a person with situs inversus is reversed, necessitating steps so that the blood vessels join properly. Cause
Situs inversus is generally an autosomal recessive genetic condition, although it can be X-linked or found in identical "mirror image" twins.About 25% of individuals with situs inversus have an underlying condition known as primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). PCD is a dysfunction of the cilia that occurs during early embryonic development. Normally functioning cilia determine the position of the internal organs during early development, and so embryos with PCD have a 50% chance of developing situs inversus. If they do, they are said to have Kartagener syndrome, characterized by the triad of situs inversus, chronic sinusitis, and bronchiectasis. Cilia are also responsible for clearing mucus from the lung, and the dysfunction causes increased susceptibility to lung infections. Kartagener syndrome can also manifest with male infertility as functional cilia are required for proper sperm flagella function. Effect on anatomy
The condition affects all major structures within the thorax and abdomen. Generally, the organs are simply transposed through the sagittal plane. The heart is located on the right side of the thorax, the stomach and spleen on the right side of the abdomen and the liver and gall bladder on the left side.
Such a procedure is unnecessary, given that situs inversus rarely causes any additional symptoms. No treatment, medical or surgical, is prescribed for situs inversus patients, with medical professionals instead treating any other symptoms the patient may have with awareness of the unique anatomy of the patient. Epidemiology
Situs inversus is very rare, affecting 0.01% of the population. This is equivalent to 1 in 10,000 people. History
Dextrocardia (the heart being located on the right side of the thorax) was seen and drawn by Leonardo da Vinci, and then recognised by Marco Aurelio Severino in 1643. Situs inversus was first described more than a century later by Matthew Baillie. Etymology
The term situs inversus is a short form of the Latin phrase situs inversus viscerum, meaning "inverted position of the internal organs". Notable cases
Notable individuals with documented cases of situs inversus include:

Enrique Iglesias, a Spanish singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Catherine OHara, Canadian-American actress, writer and comedian. Randy Foye, an American basketball player in the NBA. He has suffered no discernible complications, and the condition is not expected to affect his career as a professional athlete, as all his organs are in reverse. Ginggaew Lorsoongnern, a Thai convict executed by firing squad. Her condition was discovered after she was shot in the left side of her chest and survived. After waking up in the morgue she was taken back and executed. Tim Miller, director of the Ashtanga Yoga Center in Carlsbad, California.