Abstract Body : Objective: To visualize the hypogastric nerve plexus in donor bodies and reference their anatomical distribution to current literature of anatomy and clinical application.
Introduction: Literature describes the superior hypogastric plexus as a midline structure giving rise to bilateral hypogastric nerves which reconverge as the inferior hypogastric plexus. The hypogastric nerve plexus consists of the superior hypogastric plexus, hypogastric nerves, and inferior hypogastric plexus. The hypogastric nerve plexus is an autonomic plexus serving the abdominopelvic and urogenital viscera.
Methods: Standard dissection techniques were used to expose the hypogastric nerve plexus on 16 donor bodies. The plexuses were categorized as being midline, midline-to-left, or left depending on their relation to the common iliac arteries.
Results: We observed 11 female donors and five male donors. Three plexuses were observed to be midline, nine were observed to be midline-to-left, and four were observed to be left. None of the plexuses were observed to be on the right.
Conclusion: These results suggest that the hypogastric plexus is predominantly a left sided structure. We hypothesize that this observed left-sided distribution may arise due to the process of midgut rotation during embryological development. This may have clinical implications for retroperitoneal exposure and manipulation in abdominopelvic procedures.
