Anatomical Variations of the Hepatic Artery and Their Surgical Relevance in Patients at University of Benin Teaching Hospital

The hepatic artery is subject to a wide range of anatomical variations that are clinically significant in hepatic surgery, liver transplantation, and percutaneous arterial embolisation procedures. Misidentification of an accessory or replaced hepatic artery during surgical dissection can lead to catastrophic bleeding or hepatic ischaemia. Most descriptions of hepatic arterial variants in the literature are based on non-African populations. This study aims to document the prevalence and types of hepatic artery variations observed during abdominal surgical procedures at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State, South South Nigeria. Intraoperative observations from elective hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal procedures will be recorded by attending surgeons, noting the origin, course, and branching pattern of the hepatic artery and its variants. Data will be classified using the Michels and Hiatt classification systems. Findings will be correlated with preoperative imaging when available. The study anticipates providing surgeons at this high-volume teaching hospital with population-specific data on hepatic arterial variants, improving preoperative planning and reducing the incidence of inadvertent vascular injury during upper abdominal surgery.

Keywords: hepatic artery, anatomical variation, Michels classification, hepatobiliary surgery, Benin City