Expansion
Hepatogastric and hepatoduodenal ligaments
Expansion
The lesser omentum runs from the lesser curvature of the stomach and the first part of the duodenum to the liver, and is derived from the ventral mesogastrium.
- Hepatogastric ligament - the broad medial part, between liver and stomach. Contains the left gastric vessels and, in some people, an accessory or replaced left hepatic artery
- Hepatoduodenal ligament - the thickened free right edge, between liver and duodenum. Contains the portal triad
The free edge is what forms the anterior boundary of the epiploic foramen, so a finger passed behind it enters the lesser sac.
The presence of a replaced left hepatic artery in the hepatogastric ligament matters in gastric surgery, since dividing it can compromise the left liver.