Right Hepatic Artery

Description

Positioned within the hepatoduodenal ligament, the right hepatic artery courses superiorly toward the porta hepatis and enters the liver parenchyma to supply the right lobe, its caliber emphasized relative to the left hepatic artery. From its proximal segment near the proper hepatic artery, a cystic artery branch often arises and runs laterally to the gallbladder neck in close relationship to the cystic duct. Intrahepatic branches radiate within the portal triads, tracking alongside portal venous tributaries and bile ducts as they distribute from the hilum toward the peripheral segments. A clear arterial tree. Surgical planning hinges on this anatomy because the right hepatic artery is the vessel most often encountered, and injured, during cholecystectomy when dissection strays medially in Calot’s triangle or when a short cystic artery obscures the arterial bifurcation. Variants such as a replaced or accessory right hepatic artery from the superior mesenteric artery can change the expected course behind the common hepatic duct, raising the risk of hemorrhage or hepatic ischemia if clipped or transected. That same arterial dominance also frames interventional decisions, since hepatic arterial infusion, transarterial chemoembolization, and Y-90 radioembolization commonly target right-lobe supply patterns. Use this illustration in hepatobiliary surgery teaching sets, anatomy and radiology curricula covering the porta hepatis, and publisher figures explaining segmental liver perfusion and procedural catheter paths. It also fits patient-facing procedural consent materials where a simplified but anatomically faithful hepatic vasculature overview supports risk discussion around bile duct and arterial injury. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.