Reversed organs Only thanks to a miracle is Leonard (2) still alive today

Doctors in Leipzig saved the life of a newborn with a rare organ anomaly and severe heart defect by performing a risky operation. The operation was performed just five days after his birth.

On November 13, 2024, Leonard was born with a rare anomaly: his organs were arranged mirror-inverted. Those affected often have no symptoms, as the organs perform their functions normally. However, Leonard also had a serious heart defect.

The diagnosis of the heart defect - a transposition of the great arteries - was made during pregnancy. The main artery and pulmonary artery are reversed.

The extremely rare combination (1 in 20,000 births) of these two anomalies meant that Leonard's life was in immediate danger after birth. Only a surgical procedure could save his life.

Dr. Marcel Vollroth, Senior Consultant in Paediatric Cardiac Surgery at the Leipzig Heart Centre, explains to Blick: "Without timely surgical correction, life expectancy is limited to a few months to a few years at most."

Surgery five days after birth

Leonard was therefore operated on at the Heart Center in Leipzig just five days after his birth. The reversed arteries were severed and positioned correctly, which was made more difficult by the mirror-inverted arrangement of the organs. The operation was successful and after four days Leonard's chest could be closed again.

After 19 days in hospital, Leonard was allowed to go home - and his parents were relieved.

Leonard can lead a normal life and Dr. Vollroth is confident that he will have an almost normal life expectancy, comparable to that of a child with a healthy heart.

The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.