Identify and clean the femoral artery and vein in the femoral triangle. (G 6.18A;N 487;Gl 34.34)
- Use scissors to split open the femoral sheath. Identify the femoral vein and artery. The femoral vein is positioned medial to the femoral artery, and the saphenous vein is a major tributary.
- Blunt dissect the femoral vein from the femoral artery. Be careful to avoid tearing any of the branches of the femoral artery. Cut the femoral vein approximately 2 cm below the entrance of the great saphenous vein. Remove as much of the femoral vein (and any tributaries) as possible in the inferior direction. Leave the proximal stump with the saphenous vein intact.
Important Relationships
- The external iliac (femoral) artery passes posterior (deep) to the inguinal ligament.
- The femoral artery passes posterior (deep) to the sartorius muscle.
- At the level of the inguinal ligament, the femoral artery is positioned lateral to the femoral vein and medial to the femoral nerve.
