left gastric artery

The left gastric artery is the smallest and first branch of the celiac artery.

It passes superiorly over the left crus of the diaphragm, approaching the esophageal opening of the diaphragm, giving off an esophageal branch to the distal esophagus, then enters the lesser omentum to pass along the lesser curvature of the stomach.  Anastomoses along the lesser curvature with the right gastric artery from the common hepatic artery, and over the fundus with the short gastric arteries from the splenic artery.

Approximately 85% of upper gastro-intestinal hemorrhage is from the left gastric artery territory. In a patient with significant upper GI bleeding but no active bleeding site identified on angiography, prophylactic embolization of the left gastric artery may be performed. Upper GI embolization is well tolerated because of the rich collateral blood supply.

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