300 ABDOMEN 



Arteria Gastrica Sinistra (O.T. Coronary Artery). The 

 left gastric artery is the smallest of the three branches of the 

 cceliac artery ; it proceeds upwards and to the left, behind the 

 omental bursa and through the left gastro-pancreatic fold, to the 

 oesophageal opening of the stomach, where it changes its direc- 

 tion, enters between the two layers of the lesser omentum, 

 and runs, from above downwards and to the right, along the 

 lesser curvature of the stomach. Near the pylorus it ends by 

 anastomosing with the right gastric branch of the hepatic 

 artery. 



The branches of the left gastric artery are : 



1. CEsophageal. 



2. Gastric. 



Rami (Esophagei. Two or three cesophageal branches 

 may arise separately, or by a common trunk, from the left 

 gastric artery at the point where it reaches the stomach. 

 They pass upwards, through the cesophageal opening of the 

 diaphragm, upon the posterior aspect of the gullet, and 

 anastomose with the oesophageal branches of the thoracic 

 aorta. 



The gastric branches take origin from the trunk, as it 

 runs along the lesser curvature of the stomach, and are 

 distributed to both surfaces of this viscus. 



Vena Coronaria Ventriculi. The coronary vein of the 

 stomach accompanies the left gastric artery, along the lesser 

 curvature of the stomach and behind the omental bursa, to the 

 cceliac artery ; then, continuing to the right, it crosses in front 

 of the aorta and joins the portal vein at the lower border 

 of the epiploic foramen. 



Arteria Hepatica. The hepatic artery is intermediate in 

 size between the left gastric and the splenic. At first it runs 

 transversely to the right, along the upper border of the pan- 

 creas. At the pylorus it changes its direction, and turns 

 forwards, below the epiploic foramen, in the right gastro- 

 pancreatic fold ; then it ascends between the two layers of the 

 lesser omentum. Near the porta hepatis it ends by dividing 

 into right and left hepatic arteries. The hepatic artery 

 is accompanied by numerous large nerve twigs derived 

 from the cceliac plexus, and, as it passes upwards to the 

 liver, it is in close relationship with the bile duct and 

 the portal vein. The duct lies upon the right side of the 



