What is the hepatic vein?
The hepatic veins are blood vessels located in the liver. Their function is take the deoxygenated blood from the liver to the lungs. Most veins in the body contain valves to control back flow of blood. Hepatic veins do not contain valves What is Budd Chiari syndrome? This syndrome is a name given to a condition where the hepatic veins are obstructed by a blood clot. The syndrome classically presents with abdominal pain, fluid in the abdomen (ascites) and liver enlargement (hepatomegaly).The syndrome can present all of a sudden or gradually. It occurs in 1 out of 100,000 individuals and is more common in females. Some 10-20% also have obstruction of the other liver veins (portal vein). What happens when the hepatic vein is blocked? When the hepatic vein is blocked, the blood starts to pool behind it and causes a rise in the venous pressure. This causes the body to develop small channels (collaterals) to work around the blockage and take the blood back to the lungs. However, these new ve
