TRUE SHIT--Situs Inversus

Situs inversus is a condition where a person is born with guts in a reversed or "mirrored" condition to what most of the population considers normal. For instance, the heart is on the right side of the chest instead of the left. It is a rare condition and exists in less than 1 in 10,000 people.

People that have situs inversus present unusual medical problems. For instance, appendicitis can go undiagnosed because the appendix will be on the opposite side of the body. Organ transplants especially of the heart become way more complicated as organs from normal donors must be fitted in such a way that everything hooks up right.

Situs inversus was a plot point in the film Ninja Assassin as one of the characters survived a ninja attack because his heart was on the right side of his body instead of the left. The ninja did not know this and aimed for the left side straight for where the ninja thought the man's heart was. It turned out to be an amazing stroke of luck for the victim because as the movie points out repeatedly, when you run across a ninja, you are pretty much fucked.

Situs inversus is a genetic condition. It is generally not fatal and many people live with the condition and never know it. Others have complications unique to the condition. Leonardo da Vinci was the first man to see the condition and draw it for his anatomical notes.

TRUE SHIT.

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