Gallbladder of an Obese White Male, Gross Anatomy

Description

Positioned in the right upper quadrant of an obese adult white male, the gallbladder sits on the inferior (visceral) surface of the liver, tucked in the gallbladder fossa between the right and quadrate lobes. From the fundus projecting anteroinferiorly, the body narrows into the neck, which continues as the cystic duct to join the common hepatic duct and form the common bile duct within the hepatoduodenal ligament. A semi-transparent, quasi x-ray anterior view also allows the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine to remain visible as deeper context, while the biliary tree is highlighted in green for rapid orientation against surrounding abdominal viscera. Spatial relationships read left to right in anatomical position. Clean and unambiguous. Clinical work on the gallbladder often starts with this map: obesity increases the risk of cholesterol gallstones and acute cholecystitis, and it also changes surgical exposure during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Emphasis on the cystic duct and its junction with the extrahepatic biliary ducts supports teaching of Calot’s triangle (cystic duct, common hepatic duct, and inferior surface of the liver), the area where misidentification can lead to common bile duct injury. This is also the anatomical context for obstructive jaundice when a stone lodges in the distal common bile duct, and for gallstone pancreatitis when obstruction occurs near the hepatopancreatic ampulla. Use this artwork in gross anatomy and GI/hepatobiliary modules to orient learners before ultrasound, MRCP, or ERCP discussions, and in surgical education materials that introduce the critical view of safety for cholecystectomy. It also fits patient-facing counseling pieces on biliary colic, cholecystitis, and postoperative anatomy when a body habitus overlay helps set expectations. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.