Gallbladder, Anterior View

Description

Positioned on the visceral surface of the right lobe of the liver, the gallbladder (vesica fellea) appears as a pear-shaped sac with its fundus projecting anteroinferiorly toward the anterior abdominal wall. The body tapers superiorly into the neck, which turns posteromedially to continue as the cystic duct within the hepatoduodenal ligament. Superior and medial to the gallbladder lie the porta hepatis and extrahepatic biliary channels, while the first part of the duodenum and head of the pancreas sit posterior to the biliary tract and anchor the relationship to the portal triad. Arterial inflow and venous drainage are rendered prominently, pairing the hepatic arterial system with portal venous tributaries across the upper abdomen. Clear landmarks. An anterior approach to the biliary system matters because it mirrors what you orient to during open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy, where the cystic duct and cystic artery must be identified in Calot’s (hepatocystic) triangle before clipping and division. This view supports safe teaching of the critical view of safety and the common failure mode, misidentifying the common bile duct as the cystic duct when inflammation, an impacted neck stone, or Mirizzi syndrome distorts the anatomy. Emphasis on vascular structures also helps frame why cystic artery variants and small venous channels can complicate dissection and bleeding control. Educators can drop this plate into gross anatomy labs and hepatobiliary blocks to connect surface relationships of the gallbladder to the portal triad and adjacent stomach, duodenum, pancreas, and spleen. Surgeons and trainees will also find it suitable for operative anatomy handouts, patient-facing materials on biliary colic and acute cholecystitis, and publisher layouts discussing biliary obstruction or iatrogenic bile duct injury. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.