Hepatic veins

Venae hepaticae

CardiovascularBlood vesselsAbdomen

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What it is
Three large valveless veins (right, middle and left) running within the liver between its segments and opening into the inferior vena cava just below the diaphragm.
Function
Return all the blood that has passed through the liver (from both the portal vein and hepatic artery) to the inferior vena cava.
Size
~1–1.5 cm diameter near the IVC.
Clinical note
Their obstruction causes Budd–Chiari syndrome (painful enlarged liver and ascites); the middle hepatic vein marks the plane between the functional right and left halves of the liver.

Nearby cardiovascular structures Abdominal aorta, Coeliac trunk, Common hepatic artery, Hepatic portal vein, Left gastric artery, Left renal vein, Right renal artery, Right renal vein, Splenic artery, Splenic vein