16 - Assessment of Anatomical Variations in the Hepatic Branch of the Vagus Nerve Using the Anatomage Table

Poster Board Number: 16
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Abstract Body : INTRODUCTION: Obesity is a major health crisis in the United States, and an increasingly popular treatment for weight management is bariatric surgery. A significant complication of these procedures is partial or complete vagotomy of the hepatic branch of the vagus nerve. While the common hepatic branch was originally believed to be a hepatic nerve only, it has since proven to be involved in the innervation of most of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in addition to the hepatoportal region. Therefore, failing to spare this significant nerve branch during surgery can significantly alter homeostatic functions such as food intake and satiety signaling, GI transit time, and glycemic control. METHODS: Using Anatomage Table virtual cadavers, we evaluated anatomical variations in the hepatic branch of the vagus nerve between both sexes of Asian and Caucasian cadavers. RESULTS: In all four subjects, we discerned previously established sub-branches of the hepatic branch, including the common hepatic branch, the hepatic branch proper, and the gastroduodenal branch. In the Caucasian cadavers however, there were additional branches that have not been discussed in current literature that extended further into the liver as well as towards the duodenum and stomach. CONCLUSION: These results suggest a need for further understanding of the anatomical differences of the hepatic branch of the vagus nerve in humans to avoid partial or complete vagotomy while performing abdominal procedures.