What is a Hepatic Vein?
A hepatic vein is any of the veins that carry oxygen depleted blood out of the liver and into the inferior vena cava. The term vein refers to a blood vessel that transports blood back to the heart, in contrast to an artery, which carries blood away from the heart. The term hepatic relates to the liver. The group of hepatic veins meets with the inferior vena cava at the posterior, or back, side of the liver. The vena cava is a major blood vessel that, in turn, transports the blood to the right atrium of the heart, where the blood may begin the process of becoming re-oxygenated.
