ABSTRACT
Left side – in the thorax the artery lies behind the left common carotid artery, left vagus and left phrenic nerves. The oesophagus, trachea and left recurrent laryngeal nerve lie medial, and the left pleura and the lung lateral. In the root of the neck the relations are similar to those of the right side, except that the left recurrent laryngeal nerve does not hook round it and the thoracic duct and phrenic nerve cross anterior to it (Figs 3.6a, p. 52, and 22.6, p. 349).
