Gastroepiploic

Gastroepiploic refers to structures associated with the greater curvature of the stomach and the greater omentum. In anatomy, the term most often designates the two main arteries, the left gastroepiploic artery and the right gastroepiploic artery, along with their corresponding veins, which together form part of the stomach’s vascular network.

The left gastroepiploic artery typically arises from the splenic artery. It runs along the upper border of the greater omentum from left to right, supplying the stomach’s greater curvature and anastomosing with the right gastroepiploic artery near the gastroesophageal junction. The right gastroepiploic artery is usually a branch of the gastroduodenal artery and travels from the pyloric region to the left along the greater curvature, joining the left gastroepiploic artery. The veins mirror this arrangement: the left gastroepiploic vein drains into the splenic vein, while the right gastroepiploic vein drains into the superior mesenteric vein.

Functionally, the gastroepiploic vessels contribute to the blood supply of the stomach along the greater curvature and to the greater omentum, providing collateral circulation through their anastomosis. They are encountered in abdominal surgeries involving the stomach and omentum, such as gastrectomy, omental flap procedures, and certain reconstructive operations. Historically, the gastroepiploic arteries have been used as grafts in coronary artery bypass surgery, though this is less common today. Lymphatic drainage follows the vessels to regional gastric and omental nodes.