Objective To explore the hepatic artery variations encountered in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) surgery and its significance. Methods The clinical datas of 26 patients who underwent LPD from January 2020 to January 2023 were retrospectively collected. Preoperative evaluation of hepatic artery variability and its types based on relevant clinical and imaging data, as well as targeted measures taken during surgery, and patients’ prognosis were analyzed. Results According to preoperative abdominal enhanced CT, arterial computer tomography angiography imaging and intraoperative skeletonization of the hepatoduodenal ligament, hepatic artery variation was found in 9 of 26 patients undergoing LPD. The left hepatic artery was substituted in 1 case, the right hepatic artery was substituted in 2 cases, 2 cases were the left accessory hepatic artery, and the common hepatic artery originated from the superior mesenteric artery in 3 cases. There was 1 case, right hepatic artery coming from the abdominal aorta, whose arterial variation was not included in the traditional typing. The variant hepatic artery from superior mesenteric artery was separated by posterior approach during operation, and the variant hepatic artery from left gastric artery was separated by anterior approach during operation. Nine patients with hepatic artery variation recovered well after operation, and no serious complications occurred. Conclusions Various hepatic artery variations during LPD need to be carefully evaluated before surgery. During surgery, it should be determined whether to retain the mutated blood vessel based on its diameter and changes in liver blood flow after occlusion, so that reasonable operation can be performed during the operation to avoid hepatic artery damage.