The inferior Vena cava or IVC is a vein in our body. Its purpose is to carry the blood from the lower part of the body to the heart. The blood reaches the right side of the heart and is then pumped back to the lungs.
After collecting oxygen from the Lungs, the blood goes to the left side of the heart and is then sent back to the rest of the body. IVC gets the name from its location in the body. Since the IVC carries the blood from the lower part of the body, it is called Inferior Vena cava. Another vein called the Superior vena cava returns the blood from the upper part of the body.
Read on to know more about the Inferior Vena cava and its significance.
What is the Anatomy of the IVC
The IVC is formed by merging the left and right common iliac veins. The veins meet in the abdomen area.
These veins transport the blood from the lower limbs.
IVC is one of the largest veins that are present in our body. It also carries a large volume of blood which emphasizes its importance.
Structure of the IVC
The IVC starts from the Diaphragm, and it ends on the right side of your heart. There it ends just below the superior Vena cava. Some of the other veins also merge and enter the IVC before it reaches the heart. The common names are:
- Left Renal vein
- Left adrenal vein
- Left Gonadal veins
- Right Adrenal veins
- Right Gonadal veins
- Hepatic veins
- Inferior phrenic veins
- Lumbar Vertebral veins
Valves
A feature of IVC that not many people are aware of is the absence of any valves. There are no valves that would move the blood forward and not backward. To avoid the blood from coming back, most of the veins have valves that the IVC does not have.
In this case, the blood is pulled away from the IVC toward the heart. The diaphragm contracts, and this is followed by the lungs getting filled with air.
Defects in the placement of IVC
Sometimes the IVC placement is wrong for certain individuals. This could cause symptoms like back and abdominal aches. Unfortunately, it is difficult to identify such an anomaly. Some variations that we can see in the IVC are:
- Having two IVCs instead of one
- Azygous continuation of IVC where the blood of the lower limbs goes into a different system instead of the IVC.
- A rare condition is when the IVC is totally absent. It could be because of some other veins that join together at the same point.
Surgery
If any of the above conditions apply in your case, you will have to undergo the placement of an Inferior vena cava filter. This filter would stop the blood from clotting in the lower parts of your body to move towards the heart. Generally, the doctors suggest a filter when the blood thinners and other medications cannot tackle the ailment at hand. Once the problem is subsided, you can decide whether to keep or remove the filter. Ask a reputed doctor to know more.
