<P> The right vagus nerve gives rise to the right recurrent laryngeal nerve, which hooks around the right subclavian artery and ascends into the neck between the trachea and esophagus . The right vagus then crosses anterior to the right subclavian artery, runs posterior to the superior vena cava, descends posterior to the right main bronchus, and contributes to cardiac, pulmonary, and esophageal plexuses . It forms the posterior vagal trunk at the lower part of the esophagus and enters the diaphragm through the esophageal hiatus . </P> <P> The left vagus nerve enters the thorax between left common carotid artery and left subclavian artery and descends on the aortic arch . It gives rise to the left recurrent laryngeal nerve, which hooks around the aortic arch to the left of the ligamentum arteriosum and ascends between the trachea and esophagus . The left vagus further gives off thoracic cardiac branches, breaks up into the pulmonary plexus, continues into the esophageal plexus, and enters the abdomen as the anterior vagal trunk in the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm . </P> <Ul> <Li> Pharyngeal nerve </Li> <Li> Superior laryngeal nerve </Li> <Li> Superior cervical cardiac branches of vagus nerve </Li> <Li> Inferior cervical cardiac branch </Li> <Li> Recurrent laryngeal nerve </Li> <Li> Thoracic cardiac branches </Li> <Li> Branches to the pulmonary plexus </Li> <Li> Branches to the esophageal plexus </Li> <Li> Anterior vagal trunk </Li> <Li> Posterior vagal trunk </Li> <Li> Hering - Breuer reflex in alveoli </Li> </Ul> <Li> Superior laryngeal nerve </Li>

Where is the vagus nerve located in the stomach