Hepatic veins

The hepatic veins are the veins that drain de-oxygenated blood from the liver into the inferior vena cava.

There are usually three upper hepatic veins draining from the left, middle, and right parts of the liver.

These are larger than the group of lower hepatic veins that can number from six to twenty.

All of the hepatic veins drain into the inferior vena cava.They are one of two sets of veins connected to the liver, the others are the portal veins. The large hepatic veins arise from smaller veins found within the liver, and ultimately from numerous central veins of the liver lobules.

None of the hepatic veins have valves.