Discovery of a Rare Variant of the Arc of Bühler During Liver Procurement

We report a rare variant of the hepatic arterial supply observed during liver procurement from a 71-year-old female donor for whom an ischemic stroke caused brain death. Preoperative computed tomography showed a partially obliterated celiac trunk and an atypical arterial branch that coursed in a retropancreatic plane away from its origin at the superior mesenteric artery to anastomose with the common hepatic artery at the origin of the proper hepatic artery. The gastroduodenal artery and the dorsal pancreatic artery are the 2 conventional anastomotic arcades between the celiac trunk and the superior mesenteric artery. However, another potential anastomotic route is a rare physiological phenomenon known as the arc of Bühler, which, if present, connects the superior mesenteric artery with the celiac trunk or one of its branches. Although the arc of Bühler is known to occur in less than 3% of the general population, it could serve as a crucial anastomotic option in the case of median arcuate ligament syndrome or atheromatous obliteration of the celiac trunk. In our case, we were able to dissect and preserve the entire anastomotic arc from the donor. For arterial reconstruction during liver transplant, we anastomosed the arc of Bühler to the recipient’s hepatic artery at the origin of the gastroduodenal artery. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the recipient was in good health at the 6-month follow-up. The arc of Bühler, when present, is an important anastomotic option in hepatobiliary surgery to avoid potential damage to the arterial supply of the liver.