Anatomical Variations in the Sinoatrial Nodal Artery: A Meta-Analysis and Clinical Considerations

Background and Objective The sinoatrial nodal artery (SANa) is a highly variable vessel which supplies blood to the sinoatrial node (SAN). Due to its variability and susceptibility to iatrogenic injury, our study aimed to assess the anatomy of the SANa and determine the prevalence of its anatomical variations. Study Design An extensive search of major electronic databases was performed to identify all articles reporting anatomical data on the SANa. No lower date limit or language restrictions were applied. Anatomical data regarding the artery were extracted and pooled into a meta-analysis. Results Sixty-six studies (n = 21455 hearts) were included in the meta-analysis. The SANa usually aros…