Right Hepatic Artery

Description

Arising from the proper hepatic artery within the hepatoduodenal ligament, the right hepatic artery courses laterally toward the right lobe and divides into segmental and subsegmental branches that arborize through the hepatic parenchyma. Proximally, the vessel lies anterior to the portal vein and typically medial to the common bile duct in the portal triad, then turns to enter the hepatic hilum at the porta hepatis. Distal branches track within the right portal pedicle toward Couinaud segments V to VIII, fanning superiorly and posteriorly across the substance of the male liver. Right hepatic arterial anatomy matters because it is the vessel most often implicated in iatrogenic injury during cholecystectomy, where an aberrant right hepatic artery may run close to, or even within, Calot’s triangle and be mistaken for the cystic artery. Variant origins are common, with a replaced or accessory right hepatic artery frequently arising from the superior mesenteric artery and passing posterior to the portal vein before reaching the hilum. Clear depiction of this branching pattern supports preoperative planning for hepatic resection, liver transplantation, and transarterial therapies in hepatocellular carcinoma, where selective catheterization depends on accurate segmental supply. Small branches. Big consequences. Educators can drop this figure into hepatobiliary anatomy teaching, portal triad labs, or radiology-pathology correlation sessions to anchor discussions of arterial versus portal venous inflow and segment-based surgery. It also fits operative atlases, patient-facing surgical consent materials, and interventional radiology protocols that need a clean right hepatic artery roadmap without distracting adjacent organs. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.