What Is the Hepatic Artery?

The hepatic artery is one of the three branches of the abdominal artery. It is issued by the celiac artery as the common hepatic artery; above the first part of the duodenum, the right gastric artery and the gastroduodenal artery are successively separated, and the trunk is referred to as the inherent hepatic artery; The duodenal ligament is ascending internally, most of which are divided into left and right hepatic arteries outside the first hepatic hilum, and a few are divided into left, middle, and right branches, which enter the left and right hepatic lobes, respectively. The right hepatic artery divides the gallbladder artery before entering the liver. Anatomical variation is seen in more than 40% of patients. These vascular distributions and variations are important for reading of abdominal or hepatic arteriography. The hepatic artery blood supply is about 25% of the total liver blood supply, and the oxygen supply is about 50%. ^[1]

Hepatic artery

The hepatic artery is one of the three branches of the abdominal artery. It is issued by the celiac artery as the common hepatic artery; above the first part of the duodenum, the right gastric artery and the gastroduodenal artery are successively separated, and the trunk is called the inherent hepatic artery; it is in the hepatic ten with the portal vein and common bile duct. The duodenal ligament is ascending internally, most of which are divided into left and right hepatic arteries outside the first hepatic hilum, and a few are divided into left, middle, and right branches, which enter the left and right hepatic lobes, respectively. The right hepatic artery divides the gallbladder artery before entering the liver. Anatomical variation is seen in more than 40% of patients. These vascular distributions and variations are important for reading of abdominal or hepatic arteriography. The hepatic artery blood supply is about 25% of the total liver blood supply, and the oxygen supply is about 50%. ^[1]

Hepatic artery, artery hepatica

After birth, generally keep one

Anatomical data shows that about 30% of livers have hepatic arterial variation. On the whole, there is no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative arterial complications when the hepatic artery is normal and mutated. If the anastomosis of the hepatic artery is required or the anastomosis of the donor hepatic artery and the recipient abdominal aorta is required, then the incidence of postoperative arterial complications is significantly increased.

During living liver transplantation, it is necessary to perform a hepatic angiography on the donor before surgery. If the diameter of the left hepatic artery is less than 2mm, there is a double arterial blood supply in the left outer lobe of the liver, or the donor has vascular disease, it generally cannot be used as a donor. If a thicker branch from the left hepatic artery is supplied to the right hepatic liver, it should not be used as a donor.