Gastroepiploic Artery, Anterior View

Description

Running along the inferior margin of the stomach, the right and left gastroepiploic (gastro-omental) arteries form an anastomotic arcade paralleling the greater curvature. From an anterior perspective in a male abdomen, the arch sits inferior to the gastric body and fundus, with short gastric branches ascending toward the fundus and multiple omental branches descending into the greater omentum. Superiorly, the left lobe of the liver and gallbladder are partially visible beneath the costal margin, while coils of jejunum and ileum occupy the central and lower abdomen, framed by the transverse colon superiorly and descending colon laterally. A clear landmark. Surgeons and endoscopists care about this vessel because bleeding along the greater curvature often tracks to the gastroepiploic arcade, and iatrogenic injury can occur during sleeve gastrectomy, partial gastrectomy, or mobilization of the greater omentum. The right gastroepiploic artery typically arises from the gastroduodenal artery and courses leftward, while the left gastroepiploic arises from the splenic artery near the hilum and runs rightward, a relationship that helps explain collateral flow when the celiac axis or proximal splenic artery is stenosed. That collateral pathway can be the difference between ischemia and preserved perfusion. Faculty can drop this figure directly into gross anatomy labs, GI surgical anatomy lectures, and operative atlases that address gastrectomy, omentectomy, or control of upper GI hemorrhage. It also fits radiology and interventional teaching files when correlating angiography or CTA findings around the greater curvature and omental vasculature. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.