Hepatic artery proper

The hepatic artery proper (also proper hepatic artery) is the artery that supplies the liver and gallbladder. It raises from the common hepatic artery, a branch of the celiac artery.

Hepatic artery proper
The hepatic artery proper branches from the common hepatic artery.
Inferior surface of the liver. (Entrance for hepatic artery labeled at bottom center.)
Details
Source	Common hepatic artery
Identifiers
Latin	arteria hepatica propria
TA98	A12.2.12.029
TA2	4227
FMA	14772
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

Structure

The hepatic artery proper arises from the common hepatic artery and runs alongside the portal vein and the common bile duct to form the portal triad. A branch of the common hepatic artery – the gastroduodenal artery gives off the small supraduodenal artery to the duodenal bulb. Then the right gastric artery comes off and runs to the left along the lesser curvature of the stomach to meet the left gastric artery, which is a branch of the celiac trunk. It subsequently bifurcates into the right and left hepatic arteries.

Variant anatomy

Of note, the right and left hepatic arteries may demonstrate variant anatomy. A misplaced right hepatic artery may arise from the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and a misplaced left hepatic artery may arise from the left gastric artery. The cystic artery generally comes from the right hepatic artery.^[1]

Other variants of right hepatic artery includes: arising directly from the proximal or middle part of common hepatic artery, gastroduodenal artery, superior mesenteric artery, celiac axis, aorta, splenic artery, or left gastric artery instead of arising from proper hepatic artery.^[2]

Additional images

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  Proper hepatic artery
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  Abdominal portion of the sympathetic trunk, with the celiac and hypogastric plexuses.
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  Horizontal disposition of the peritoneum in the upper part of the abdomen.
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  Hepatic artery proper. Visceral surface of liver.