Superior Mesenteric Artery

SUPERIOR MESENTERIC ARTERY

The Abdominal Aorta gives off this anterior branch at approximately the level of the L1 vertebra. Superior mesenteric artery provides blood supply to the digestive system organs in the abdominal cavity.

BRANCHES

1. Its first branch is the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery, which will anastomose with the superior pancreaticoduodenal artery coming from the Celiac Truncus.

2. The second branch is the jejunal and ileal arteries, which will provide blood supply to the jejunum and ileum. Although there are approximately 12 of them, they are not separated by a sharp anatomical border.

3. The third branch is the ileocolic artery, which provides blood supply to the terminal ileum and also to the cecum. The fourth branch is the right colic artery, which will supply blood to the ascending colon.

4. The last branch is the middle colic artery, which supplies blood to the left 2/3 of the transverse colon. Variantly, the right colic artery may also originate from the middle colic artery.