Posterior Display of the Cardiac Notch of the Stomach

Description

Posteriorly oriented, the proximal stomach is shown with emphasis on the incisura cardiaca (cardiac notch) where the abdominal esophagus meets the gastric fundus at the cardia. The notch forms an acute angle on the left, with the fundus lying superior and lateral to the gastroesophageal junction and the gastric body continuing inferiorly toward the antrum. Along the lesser curvature, the proximal stomach sweeps medially toward the esophageal hiatus, framing the angle of His at the junction of esophagus and superior gastric dome. A sharp landmark. This posterior perspective matters because the angle of His and adjacent cardia are central to the anti reflux geometry of the gastroesophageal junction and are frequently referenced when teaching the anatomy underlying hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux disease. During laparoscopic antireflux procedures such as Nissen fundoplication, surgeons work to restore the relationship between distal esophagus and fundus, and the cardiac notch helps orient dissection around the left crus and proximal stomach without losing the true gastroesophageal junction. Endoscopy and upper GI contrast studies often describe this region in terms of the cardia and fundus contour, but the posterior surface is where the spatial logic becomes clear. Use this plate for gross anatomy lab teaching on stomach regions and curvatures, for surgical education materials on hiatus and fundoplication setup, or for gastroenterology publishing where precise labeling of the incisura cardiaca and angle of His reduces ambiguity in captions and figure legends. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.