LAUSR

The inferior epigastric artery (IEA) is a major blood vessel that supplies the anterior abdominal wall. The aim of the current study was to provide clinicians, surgeons, and obstetricians with sufficient anatomical data on the inferior epigas t c artery, such as its origin and branching pattern. The study included 20 embalmed cadavers, these cadavers were dissected, and the infer ior epigastric artery and vena comitans/venae comitantes were identified and traced downwards to the external iliac vessels. The or igin , caliber, course and pedicle length of both the artery and the vein(s) were studied. The inferior epigastric artery arose indepe ndently from the distal external iliac artery deep to the inguinal ligament in 19 (95 %) cadavers. The artery entered the rectus abdominis m uscle at its middle third in 13 (65 %) cases and at its lower third in the remaining specimens. In this study, we found that the artery divi ded into two branches in 18 (90 %) of the cases; in the remaining two cases, it continued as one trunk. The average pedicle length was 7.2 c m. The mean caliber of the IEA was 3.7 mm. In 18 (90 %) dissections, the venous drainage consisted of a pair of venae comitantes that united to form a common vessel at their draining point on the external iliac vein. The average diameter was 3.9 mm. The current study foc uses on the anatomical features of the inferior epigastric artery to increase the success rate of abdominal and pelvic operations in cl inical practice.