The hepatic artery proper (also proper hepatic artery), arises from the common hepatic artery and runs alongside the portal vein and the common bile duct to form the portal triad. The hepatic artery proper gives off a small supraduodenal artery to the duodenal bulb. Then the right gastric artery comes off and runs to the left along the lesser curvature of the stomach to meet the left gastric artery, which is a branch of the celiac trunk. It subsequently gives off the cystic artery, which feeds the gallbladder, before bifurcating into the right and left hepatic arteries. Of note, the right and left hepatic arteries may demonstrate variant anatomy. A replaced right hepatic artery may arise from the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and a replaced left hepatic artery may arise from the left gastric artery. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatic_artery_proper ]