STRUCTURE AND POSITION

•   Left Hepatic Duct is few centimeters long and branches on its sides in every segment.
•   Left Hepatic Duct’s length depends upon the size of the quadrate lobe of liver.
•   Left Hepatic Duct is present beneath the liver. It enters the liver through a fissure called umbilical fissure.

RELATIONS

•  Left Hepatic Duct is present posterior to Portal Vein’s left branch.
•  Superiorly Left Hepatic Duct is covered by liver.
•  Posteriorly Inferior Vena Cava is present.
•  Inferiorly it joins Right Hepatic Duct from right side ( in 60% ) or joins Right Anterior and Posterior Sectoral Ducts separately ( in 40% ), to form Common Hepatic Duct.

FUNCTION AND CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

• Left Hepatic Duct carries bile (liver secretions) from quadrate lobe of liver to Common Hepatic Duct. Through it bile goes to Common Bile Duct and then reaches Small Intestine.
• Left Hepatic Duct is clinically important because care must be taken in surgery of Gallbladder removal, to protect it from being cut.
• After Gallbladder removal Left Hepatic Duct carries increased amount of secretions.