The gastroepiploic artery refers to a group of blood vessels that are found in the abdomen and stomach. The artery is separated into two parts known as the right and left gastroepiploic arteries. These two arteries then merge together to form the gastroepiploic artery.
The right gastroepiploic artery is the larger blood vessel. It emerges from the last section of a blood vessel in the abdomen known as the gastroduodenal artery. It travels from right to left, following the stomach’s curve. It is located slightly below the curve of the stomach. The arteries that stem from the right gastroepiploic artery direct blood flow to parts of the stomach. The right artery’s path ends when it merges with the left gastroepiploic artery.
The left gastroepiploic artery is an extension of the splenic artery. It travels from left to right and also lies just below the curvature of the stomach. Blood vessels that emerge from the left gastroepiploic artery also direct blood flow to parts of the stomach, specifically the surface and greater omentum, a fold of thin tissue that hangs down from the stomach and attaches to the transverse colon.