Superior Vesical Artery, Inferior View

Description

Oriented from an inferior viewpoint in an adult male pelvis, the superior vesical artery is shown as a branch of the patent portion of the umbilical artery arising from the anterior division of the internal iliac artery. It courses anteromedially along the lateral pelvic wall, then turns onto the superior surface (dome) of the urinary bladder where it breaks into multiple vesical branches running superficially in the peritoneal-covered detrusor. Small arterioles radiate across the bladder apex toward the midline. This is bladder roof vascular anatomy. Teaching this vessel from below matters because it mirrors what you see when mobilizing the bladder in pelvic surgery: the surgeon encounters the umbilical artery as a firm cord, the superior vesical branches crossing the bladder dome, and the lateral pedicles where clip placement controls bleeding. Injury or inadequate control of these branches contributes to troublesome venous oozing and arterial bleeding during open or laparoscopic cystotomy, bladder diverticulectomy, or pelvic lymph node dissection near the internal iliac system, and the variant number and caliber of superior vesical branches affects hemostasis planning. The same relationships also help when interpreting pelvic angiography or planning selective embolization for bladder hemorrhage. Use this artwork in gross anatomy and pelvic floor modules to anchor the internal iliac branching pattern (umbilical artery to superior vesical arteries) and in urology or colorectal surgery teaching files illustrating bladder mobilization, cystectomy planes, and vascular control points. Medical publishers can pair it with operative technique text or interventional radiology content on vesical artery embolization. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.