Hepatic Vein (Noun)
Meaning
A vein that drains the liver; empties into the vena cava.
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- The hepatic vein is responsible for draining the liver and transporting oxygen-depleted blood to the vena cava.
- A normal hepatic vein appears as a tubular structure on ultrasound, with a smooth wall and a patent lumen.
- The hepatic vein is formed by the confluence of smaller hepatic veins that drain the liver lobules.
- During liver surgery, the hepatic vein is carefully ligated and divided to prevent bleeding.
- The hepatic vein empties into the inferior vena cava, which then carries the blood to the right atrium of the heart.