Mirror lungs: when organs are reversed

CHICAGO, Ill. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – More than 40,000 people will receive organ transplants this year. Almost 3,000 people will get a second chance at life by receiving a lung donation.

COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and cystic fibrosis are just some of the reasons people may need a lung transplant or two. And now doctors can help people born with a rare disease called specular lung.

Yahaira Vega was born with a rare disorder that prevents the tiny hair-like structures in her airways from removing bacteria and pollutants.

“You know those big McDonald’s drinks, $1 colas? I could fill one of them with phlegm for a day,” she tells Ivanhoe.

What’s more, Yahaira’s chest and abdominal organs were reversed.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Northwestern Medicine,” said Dr. Ankit Bharat, a thoracic surgeon at Northwestern Medicine. “The heart is usually on the left side, but now it’s on the right side. The right lung is on the left side, but the left lung is on the right side.”

Dennis Dear was also born with this rare genetic disorder called inverse sitting.

“My symptoms got worse and worse to the point where I couldn’t even walk 10 steps without gasping for breath,” Dennis recalls.

Both Dennis and Yahaira were the first two patients at Northwestern Medicine to receive double lung transplants in the reverse position.

“Once the old lung is removed, a normal lung from a normal donor needs to be placed in a cavity that is a mirror image,” Dr. Bharat explains.

When Dennis woke up from the surgery, he knew it had worked.

“It’s unbelievable. I’m still fascinated by it,” he told Ivanhoe.

And now, both Dennis and Yahaira are back to normal life. Reverse sitting affects almost 1 in 10,000 people. In many cases, patients may not even know they have the disease until they seek medical care for an unrelated disease.

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