Your Coronary Arteries

The heart has 3 major coronary arteries. Two of these arteries arise from a common stem, called the left main coronary artery. Below is a picture of a normal human heart. Coronary arteries lay initially on the surface of the heart before they dive deep and eventually reach the muscle cells:

cardiovascular_coronary_arteries_labeled_medium_prod

  • The left main coronary artery supplies the left side of the heart.
  • Its left anterior descending (LAD) branch supplies the front part of the heart.
  • The left circumflex (LCX) branch supplies the left lateral and back side of the heart.
  • Finally, the right coronary artery (RCA) is separate and supplies the right and the bottom parts of the heart.

Comments 2

  1. I have 70% blockage in my heart left artery. I was scheduled for open heart bypass but my surgeon determined I was not a good candidate and canceled the surgery. The veins in my legs are to small and I have emphysema, 50%. Today the heart surgeon that will perform my surgery through heart cath said the clogged artery is the left aorta. To say the least, I am confused. It was explained, to me, that this procedure has more of a risk. Clearing the artery and then placing a stent. I’m scheduled for surgery the 23rd of this December. I don’t know if there will be any other stents placed. I’m a 67 year old woman.

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