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The
common hepatic duct is the duct formed by the convergence of the right hepatic duct (which drains bile from the right functional lobe of the liver) and the left hepatic duct (which drains bile from the left functional lobe of the liver). The common hepatic duct then joins the
cystic ductThe cystic duct is the short duct that joins the gall bladder to the common bile duct. It usually lies next to the cystic artery. It is of variable length...
coming from the
gallbladderIn vertebrates the gallbladder is a small organ that aids mainly in fat digestion and concentrates bile produced by the liver. In humans the loss of the gallbladder is usually easily tolerated....
to form the
common bile ductThe common bile duct is a tube-like anatomic structure in the human gastrointestinal tract. It is formed by the union of the common hepatic duct and the cystic duct . It is later joined by the pancreatic duct to form the ampulla of Vater...
. The duct is usually 6–8 cm length and 6mm in
diameterIn geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints are on the circle. The diameters are the longest chords of the circle...
in adults.
Clinical significance
The hepatic duct is part of the biliary tract that transports secretions from the liver into the
intestineIn human anatomy, the intestine is the segment of the alimentary canal extending from the pyloric sphincter of the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine...
s. It carries more volume in people who have had their gallbladder removed.
It is an important anatomic landmark during surgeries such as
gall bladder removalCholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder. It is the most common method for treating symptomatic gallstones. Surgical options include the standard procedure, called laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and an older more invasive procedure, called open cholecystectomy.-Open surgery:A...
. It forms one edge of Calot's triangle, along with the
cystic ductThe cystic duct is the short duct that joins the gall bladder to the common bile duct. It usually lies next to the cystic artery. It is of variable length...
and the
cystic artery-Most common arrangement:In the classic arrangement, occurring with a frequency of approximately 70%, a singular cystic artery originates from the geniculate flexure of the right hepatic artery in the upper portion of the hepatobiliary triangle...
. All constituents of this triangle must be identified to avoid cutting or clipping the wrong structure.
External links
- "Stomach, Spleen and Liver: Contents of the Hepatoduodenal Ligament"