Inferior Vesical Artery, Posterior View

Description

Seen from the posterior aspect in a male pelvis, the urinary bladder is presented with the ureters entering superoposteriorly and the urethra departing inferiorly from the bladder neck. The inferior vesical artery ascends on the posteroinferior bladder wall, typically arising from the anterior division of the internal iliac artery and approaching the base of the bladder medial to the pelvic sidewall. Fine vascular branches spread across the detrusor surface toward the trigone and bladder neck, where arterial supply becomes clinically dense. Blue nerve elements suggest the pelvic plexus contributions that course along the posterolateral bladder toward the base. Posterior visualization of the inferior vesical artery matters because it tracks the blood supply most at risk during procedures around the bladder neck and prostate. During radical prostatectomy, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), or pelvic lymph node dissection, small branches to the bladder base and adjacent prostatic tissue can be a source of brisk bleeding if not anticipated, and their close relationship to the vesical plexus and neurovascular tissue frames the balance between hemostasis and functional preservation. This is a tight corridor. Use this plate when teaching male pelvic vascular anatomy in gross anatomy, urology clerkships, or surgical anatomy modules that cover internal iliac branching patterns and bladder base relationships. It also fits well in operative atlases and patient education materials explaining why bladder neck and prostate surgery can involve vascular control near the posterior bladder. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.