Redefining the Mesentery as an Organ

Recent updates in our understanding of human mesenteric anatomy argue in favor of re-designating the mesentery as an organ. The following chapter puts forward the current definition of the mesentery and explains how this differs from the mesentery of conventional anatomical descriptions. It then describes how our understanding of the mesentery has developed over the past 500 years up to the very present and the concept of the mesenteric organ. This is important as a review of the historical development of the mesentery optimally orientates the reader at the outset of this book.