14 Blood Supply
Think of the digestive system like a busy city, with different areas connected by highways, which in this case are blood vessels. these highways carry nutrients and waste through blood supplied by the aorta, which branches off into the celiac trunk. The celiac trunk then splits into three main arteries, each going to different parts of the digestive system.
Figure 24 Anterior view of the digestive system’s arteries
The left gastric artery is the smallest of these branches and supplies blood to the stomach and esophagus.
The splenic artery is the largest and supplies blood to the pancreas and spleen. It also branches into smaller arteries which supply the stomach and pancreas.
The common hepatic artery comes from the right side and splits into three arteries:
Table 16 Segments of the common hepatic artery from right to left
| Branch | Description: |
| Right gastric artery | Supplies blood to the stomach |
| Gastroduodenal artery | Supplies blood to the stomach, duodenum, pancreas, and greater omentum (a fatty tissue near the stomach) |
| Hepatic artery (left and right) | Supplies blood to the liver, gallbladder and stomach |