Where do hepatic veins course?

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Hepatic veins run in the intersegmental planes of the liver—i.e., in the spaces that separate liver segments and lobes—and then drain into the inferior vena cava. This means they collect blood from multiple adjacent segments as they converge, rather than staying within a single segment or following the portal triad. They don’t travel along the portal triad, which groups the portal vein, hepatic artery, and bile duct within each portal area. Because the veins lie in the planes that separate segments and lobes, the description of their course as between lobes and segments best matches their true path.