Do you know about these secret pathways that carry blood from the liver to the heart? (Hepatic Veins)

We all know that the liver is the largest organ in our body. The liver works like a big factory inside our body. Just as raw materials come to this factory, blood also comes to the liver, and after its work is done, it leaves. So, there is a special system of blood vessels inside the liver that takes the purified, nourished, and finished blood back to our heart. That system of veins is what we call 'Hepatic Veins'. Today, we will talk about this simply, in a way that you can understand.

Simply put, what are these hepatic veins?

Imagine your liver as a big water filter. The blood coming from the other organs in our abdomen is cleaned by this filter. A big pipe system is needed to send the cleaned water back to the main tank. Similarly, the blood that has been purified by the liver filter is sent back to the heart to be pumped throughout the body by the hepatic veins .

These veins join the Inferior Vena Cava (IVC), one of the largest veins in our body. This IVC collects all the oxygen-poor blood from the lower part of our body and carries it to the right atrium of the heart.

Normally, we have three main hepatic veins.

• Right hepatic vein
• Left hepatic vein
• Middle hepatic vein

These three veins are a very important part of our circulatory system. Because they carry oxygen-poor but purified blood from the liver to the heart. Then that blood goes to the lungs, picks up oxygen, and returns to the heart to circulate throughout the body.

Where are these veins located? What are their shapes?

These hepatic veins are located inside the liver . Just like the branches of a tree, these veins are spread throughout the liver. When doctors divide the liver into sections, they use these veins as boundaries. There is a network called the 'central veins' that collect blood from the very fine capillaries inside the liver. The blood from those central veins is collected in these large hepatic veins.

This vein, which comes out of the back of the liver, connects directly to the 'inferior vena cava' (IVC) that we talked about earlier. That is, it is close to our spine, just below the diaphragm.

Most of the time, the right hepatic vein connects to the IVC alone. However, the left and middle hepatic veins join together to form a small common trunk that connects to the IVC.

What changes can some people see?

This is just for your information. There is no harm in having such changes.

What are the diseases that affect the hepatic veins?

The main and most serious condition affecting these veins is Budd-Chiari syndrome .

Simply put, this means that blood clots form inside the hepatic veins, blocking the veins.. Imagine that when a piece of dirt gets stuck in a water pipe, the water path is blocked, and water fills the back of the pipe. In the same way, when a blood clot forms in the hepatic vein, all the blood that should be leaving the liver gets stuck in one place, and the pressure inside the liver increases excessively. This is a very dangerous situation.

When blood becomes trapped inside the liver in this way, it can cause many other complications.

• Portal hypertension: Excessive pressure in the main vein that carries blood to the liver (portal vein).
• Esophageal varices: The veins in the esophagus (gullet) can become swollen, bulging, and bleeding.
• Ascites: The abdomen fills with fluid like water, and the abdomen begins to enlarge.
• Cirrhosis of the liver: Long-term damage to the liver causes liver cells to die and are replaced by fibrous tissue, gradually causing the liver to fail.

Symptoms that may occur in this condition

You may be wondering how your body would feel if something like this happened. Here are some symptoms to watch out for.

How to diagnose the disease?

When you tell your doctor about these symptoms, he or she will examine you and refer you for several tests to confirm the diagnosis.

• Blood tests: These can provide important information about liver function.
• Ultrasound scan: This can clearly see the blood flow within the hepatic veins and whether there are any blood clots.
• CT scan (Computed Tomography - CT scan): This can produce detailed three-dimensional images of the liver and veins.
• MRI Scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging - MRI): This can also produce very clear images of the liver and blood vessels.
• Liver biopsy: In some cases, a small piece of the liver is taken using a very small needle to examine the exact extent of liver damage.

What are the treatments for these?

Treatment methods vary from patient to patient. The main goal is to dissolve the blood clot in the vein and restore blood flow.

This can be done by giving blood clot-busting drugs (thrombolytic therapy) or by opening the vein with procedures such as angioplasty. Your doctor will explain to you which treatment is most appropriate for you, depending on your situation.

How to keep the hepatic veins and the entire body healthy?

These things help keep not only your hepatic veins, but your entire heart and vascular system healthy.

Something that many people confuse: Are the hepatic vein and the portal vein the same thing?

No. These are two completely different types of veins that perform two opposite functions.

This is like the 'entrance' and 'exit' of a road.

• Portal Vein: This is the entrance to the liver. The portal vein carries blood with nutrients from organs such as the intestines and stomach to the liver.
• Hepatic Veins: These are the pathways that leave the liver. The blood that has been purified in the liver is carried back to the heart through the hepatic veins.

See this table for more clarity.

So now you know that the hepatic vein is a very important link between the liver and the heart. Keeping these veins healthy is very important for the health of your entire body.