Variations of right hepatic artery and its surgical significance / 中华肝胆外科杂志

ABSTRACT

The right hepatic artery (RHA) is the terminal artery supplying the right hepatic lobe. There are many anatomic variations of RHA, including low RHA and left hepatic artery bifurcation, aberrant course, tortuosity, abnormal branches of cystic artery and origin variation. The origin variation of RHA is divided into replaced RHA and accessory RHA. The replaced artery origins include superior mesenteric artery, celiac trunk, aorta, common hepatic artery, gastroduodenal artery, left gastric artery, splenic artery and right renal artery. The variations of RHA are important causes of intraoperative adverse events and postoperative complications in hepatobiliary-pancreatic-splenic surgery. It is an important guarantee for the safety of operation to know and master these RHA variations well before operation, to separate it carefully and to protect it properly during operation.