## Anatomy of Calot Triangle **Key Point:** The Calot triangle (hepatocystic triangle) is a critical anatomical landmark bounded by three structures: | Boundary | Structure | | --- | --- | | **Medial** | Common bile duct | | **Lateral** | Cystic artery | | **Superior** | Right hepatic artery | ### Clinical Significance **High-Yield:** The cystic artery runs within the Calot triangle and must be identified and ligated during cholecystectomy to prevent hemorrhage. The common bile duct forms the medial boundary and must be carefully preserved to avoid iatrogenic bile duct injury. **Clinical Pearl:** During laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the "critical view of safety" technique requires clear visualization of the Calot triangle to identify the cystic artery and cystic duct before ligation, reducing the risk of major bile duct injury from ~0.5% to <0.1%. **Mnemonic:** **CHD** = **C**ystic artery (lateral), **H**epatic artery (superior), **D**uct (medial) ### Embryological Basis The structures forming the Calot triangle are derived from the hepatic diverticulum and its associated vascular supply, making this triangle a natural plane of dissection during biliary surgery. 
Sign up free to access AI-powered MCQ practice with detailed explanations and adaptive learning.