Anatomical Structure and Location of the Hepatic Artery

Description

Centered in the anterior upper abdomen, the hepatic artery is traced from the celiac trunk, passing rightward along the superior border of the pancreas as the common hepatic artery before giving rise to the gastroduodenal artery inferiorly and continuing as the proper hepatic artery toward the porta hepatis. At the liver hilum, the proper hepatic artery divides into right and left hepatic arteries running superiorly within the hepatoduodenal ligament, positioned anteromedial to the portal vein and typically anterolateral to the bile duct within the portal triad. Adjacent foregut viscera are included for orientation, with the stomach lying superior and leftward, the gallbladder on the visceral (inferior) surface of the liver, and loops of small intestine occupying the inferior abdomen with accompanying mesenteric vessels. Red arterial and blue venous channels map the regional vascular beds. Anterior depiction of this pathway helps when teaching the arterial supply of the liver and its relationship to the extrahepatic biliary tree, where millimeters matter. During cholecystectomy, variants such as a replaced right hepatic artery (often arising from the superior mesenteric artery) can course close to Calot’s triangle, and iatrogenic injury risks hepatic ischemia or hemobilia. Clear separation of hepatic artery branches from portal venous inflow also supports interpretation of angiography and planning for hepatic arterial infusion therapy or transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma. Common use cases include gross anatomy and surgical anatomy curricula, hepatobiliary conference slides, and publisher figures for chapters on the celiac trunk, porta hepatis, and portal triad relations, where a clean anterior layout reads well in print and lecture projection. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.