Left anterior descending artery
| Left anterior descending artery | |
|---|---|
Sternocostal surface of heart. Anterior descending branch labeled at upper right | |
| Details | |
| Location | Heart |
| Source | Left coronary artery |
| Branches | Septals, diagonals |
| Supplies | Anterolateral myocardium, apex, interventricular septum, 45–55% of the left ventricle (LV) |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | ramus interventricularis anterior arteriae coronariae sinistrae |
| Acronym(s) | LAD |
| TA98 | A12.2.03.202 |
| TA2 | 4143 |
| FMA | 3862 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The left anterior descending artery (LAD, or anterior descending branch), also called anterior interventricular artery (IVA, or anterior interventricular branch of left coronary artery) is a branch of the left coronary artery. It supplies the anterior portion of the left ventricle. It provides about half of the arterial supply to the left ventricle and is thus considered the most important vessel supplying the left ventricle. Blockage of this artery is often called the widow-maker infarction due to a high risk of death.