Vessels and nerves of the foregut (Dave's notes)

Question 1

What are the three main branches of the coeliac trunk?

Answer 1

The left gastric, splenic and common hepatic artery

Question 2

The coeliac trunk supplies the gut from where to where?

Answer 2

From the lower oesophagus to the bile duct, plus derivatives and spleen

Question 3

What is found either side of the coeliac trunk?

Answer 3

The coeliac ganglia one on each side

Question 4

At what level does the coeliac trunk divide into its three branches?

Answer 4

At the upper border of the pancreas

Question 5

What is the path of the left gastric artery?

Answer 5

The left gastric runs up the left crus giving an oesophageal branch (lower 1/3), then enters the lesser omentum

Question 6

What is the path of the splenic artery? (two stages)

Answer 6

• The splenic artery runs across the upper border of the pancreas over the left crus and psoas
• At the hilum of the left kidney it turns forward in the lienorenal ligament to the hilum of the spleen

Question 7

What does the splenic artery supply?

Answer 7

The spleen, and is the main supply to the pancreas. Gives off the short gastric arteries and the left gastroepiploic artery

Question 8

What is the course of the common hepatic artery?

Answer 8

The common hepatic artery passes over the upper border of the pancreas,

then downwards to the first part of the duodenum.
(give of right gastric artery - lesser curvature - anastomose with left gastric artery)

Enters free edge of lesser omentum (hepatoduodenal ligament), travel anterior to the portal vein and medial to common bile duct

Splits superiorly towards porta hepatis, terminating as proper hepatic artery.

gives of gasproduodenal artery interiorly.

Divides at the port hepatis

Question 9

What are the branches of the common hepatic artery?

Answer 9

1. Right gastric artery to the lesser curve of the stomach
2. Gastroduodenal arteries.
3. Right gastroepiploic enters the greater omentum, giving off superior pancreaticoduodenal has two branches encircling the pancreatic concavity, and right gastroepiploic artery

Question 10

The venous drainage of the foregut is very similar to the arterial supply, however which artery has no corresponding vein?

Answer 10

The gastroduodenal artery

Question 11

What contributes to the splenic vein? To where does the splenic vein drain?

Answer 11

The short gastric, gastroepiploic veins and pancreatic tributaries and IMV unite with the SMV to form the portal vein

Question 12

List the six tributaries of the splenic vein

Answer 12

xx

Question 13

Describe the course of the splenic vein

Answer 13

The splenic vein runs below the splenic artery through the leinorenal ligament, over the left kidney, psoas, ST???, crus, aorta, SMA and IVC

Question 14

What joints the SMV?

Answer 14

The right gastroepiploic vein

Question 15

Where do the superior pancreaticoduodenal veins run?

Answer 15

In the curvature between the pancreas and duodenum

Question 16

What is the venous drainage of the right and left gastric and right and left gastroepiploic arteries?

Answer 16

Veins correspond with these arteries