What to know about Catherine O’Hara’s rare heart condition, dextrocardia

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Source: STAT News

Original: https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/02/dextrocardia-catherine-ohara-death-highlight...

Published: Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:04:36 +0000

Catherine O'Hara had a rare congenital heart defect called dextrocardia situs inversus, in which her heart was placed on the right side of her chest instead of its normal position on the left side[2]. She discovered this diagnosis more than 20 years before her death during a routine medical examination prompted by a TB screening[3]. Dextrocardia does not usually cause problems by itself, but it often occurs with other conditions that can have serious consequences for the heart, lungs, and other vital organs[2]. With this condition, the other organs can also be located on the opposite side of the body[2]. O'Hara learned of her diagnosis during a doctor's visit with her husband, while her parents and siblings had never heard of the defect[2]. It is not known whether situs inversus dextrocardia contributed to her death at age 71[2].