A 40 year old male underwent coronary aery bypass grafting. During the procedure the surgeon applied clamp to the vessel lying anterior to thhe transverse pericardial sinus. The vessel is
High-Yield Explanation
The aoa lies anterior to the transverse pericardial sinus. The reflections of the serous pericardium are arranged as two tubes- one enclosing the aoa and the pulmonary trunk and the other enclosing the vena cavae and the four pulmonary veins. The zone of reflection surrounding the vein is j-shaped and the cul-de-sac formed within the j is the oblique pericardial sinus. This lies posterior to the left atrium. The transverse sinus is a passage between the two 'tubes'. The aoa and the pulmonary trunk lie anterior and the superior vena cava and the atria lie posterior to it. Ref: Gray's Anatomy 41st edition Pgno: 995