Anterior Perspective of the Right Hepatic Artery

Description

Arising from the proper hepatic artery within the hepatoduodenal ligament, the right hepatic artery courses superiorly and to the patient’s right toward the porta hepatis, positioned anterior to the portal vein and typically lateral to the common hepatic duct in an anterior perspective. Proximally, the common hepatic artery and gastroduodenal artery can be inferred near the superior border of the pancreas, while the portal venous tributaries track posteriorly toward the liver. Distally, the right hepatic artery approaches the right lobe and often gives off the cystic artery that runs inferiorly to the neck of the gallbladder. Orientation is straightforward. Arterial flow is the visual anchor. For hepatobiliary surgery, this artery is the one you want mapped in your head before you pick up a clip applier. During laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the cystic artery most often arises from the right hepatic artery and crosses Calot’s triangle, and a short cystic artery or an aberrant right hepatic artery can turn a routine dissection into brisk bleeding or bile duct injury if the common hepatic duct is mistaken for an arterial structure. This anterior projection supports teaching of the classic relationship between the hepatic artery proper, portal vein, and bile duct (the portal triad), and why those relationships matter when retracting the gallbladder fundus and skeletonizing the cystic structures. Use this artwork in general surgery and anatomy curricula when introducing the hepatoduodenal ligament, Calot’s triangle, and arterial variants relevant to cholecystectomy, hepatic resection, and liver transplant anastomoses. It also fits well in radiology or endoscopy texts that correlate arterial phase CT angiography with the celiac trunk, common hepatic artery, and intrahepatic branching patterns. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.