Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Single Port Donor Nephrectomy
Published on: March 12, 2011
A solitary precaval right renal artery: A case report
Athena Farahzadi1, Habibollah Mahmoodzadeh2, Nikhil Gopal3
1Fellowship of Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute Tehran University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran.
Abstract:
Knowledge of aberrant renal vasculature is critical for preoperative planning of either open or minimally invasive renal surgery. A precaval right renal artery is a rare anatomical variant in which the artery passes anterior to the inferior vena cava(IVC), as opposed to coursing posteriorly. When encountered, this artery is mostly accessory and thus accompanied by renal vessels in orthotopic position. Here, we describe an unusual instance of a solitary, main precaval right renal artery. It can be diagnosed preoperatively by a cross-sectional imaging study. Awareness of this anomaly is very important to prevent iatrogenic injury during surgical intervention.
Related Concept Videos
External Anatomy of the Kidney
The kidneys are located in the retroperitoneal space on either side of the vertebral column, protected posteriorly by the 11th and 12th ribs. The right kidney sits slightly lower than the left owing to the presence of the liver...
Blood and Nerve Supply to the Kidney
Bloody Supply to the Kidneys:
The kidneys receive their blood supply from the renal arteries, which branch off from the abdominal aorta—the main artery supplying the abdomen and lower body. The renal arteries enter the kidneys at the hilum, a notch on the medial side of each...
Imaging Studies VII: Vascular Imaging
Acute Kidney Injury IV: Diagnostic Studies and Prevention

