Inferior Vesical Artery, Lateral View

Description

Arising from the anterior division of the internal iliac artery, the inferior vesical artery courses anteroinferiorly toward the base of the urinary bladder (vesica urinaria), reaching the posteroinferior bladder wall near the trigone and bladder neck. From this lateral perspective, its branches track medially along the inferior surface of the bladder and lie immediately superior to the prostate gland, where small rami extend into the prostatic tissue and toward the proximal prostatic urethra. Perivesical veins and the prostatic venous plexus accompany the arterial supply, forming a dense vascular layer along the lateral bladder base. Close quarters anatomy. This relationship matters in transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and open or robotic simple prostatectomy, where bleeding often reflects injury to prostatic branches that commonly arise from the inferior vesical artery rather than a single dominant prostatic artery. It also frames pelvic hemorrhage control during internal iliac artery ligation or selective embolization, and it explains why dissection near the bladder neck can threaten bladder perfusion and the continence mechanism. Pelvic oncologic surgery around the prostate and seminal vesicles often encounters the same pedicle. Use this plate for teaching pelvic vasculature in gross anatomy and urology blocks, for surgical atlases illustrating the bladder base and prostatic pedicle, and for manuscripts on BPH, TURP complications, prostatic artery embolization, or bladder neck reconstruction where precise arterial provenance matters. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.