VH Dissector: Portal System

In this section we will follow the hepatic portal drainage of the abdomen:

Begin with the hepatic portal veins.  Remember they pass into the porta hepatis along with the remainder of the triad - The hepatic arteries and the bile ducts.

Add the splenic vein.

Add the inferior mesenteric vein, which is a tributary of the splenic vein.

Add the superior mesenteric vein.

The splenic vein and superior mesenteric vein join to form the portal vein.

Now we can add branches to complete the drainage of structures from the hindgut.  These include the superior rectal veins, sigmoid veins and left colic veins.

Note that the superior rectal veins anastomose with the middle and inferior rectal veins that are branches of the iliac.  This forms one of the porto-caval connections to relieve portal hypertension.  

Finally we will add branches to complete the drainage of structures from the midgut.  These include the jejunal, ileal, iliiocolic, right colic and middle colic veins (following along with their companion arteries).