What is the Hepatic Portal Vein?

The hepatic portal vein is one of the most important vein that receives blood from the body and transports it into the liver for filtration and processing. This vein is part of the hepatic portal system that receives all of the blood draining from the abdominal digestive tract, as well as from the pancreas, gallbladder, and spleen.

‘Hepatic’ means of or relating to the liver, therefore the hepatic portal vein is a blood vessel that sends nutrient-rich blood from the gastrointestinal tract and spleen to the liver, but also delivers toxins to the liver that will be chemically modified in the proces of detoxication

Explanation:

hepatic portal vein is located in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen. It is typically 8 centimeters long in adults. The portal vein is responsible for carrying blood from the GI tract, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen to the liver.The hepatic portal vein originates behind the neck of the pancreas and is usually formed by the convergence of the superior mesenteric vein and the splenic vein, referred to as the splenic-mesenteric confluence.