If your inferior vena cava is blocked it stops the blood from returning properly from the lower body to your heart, which results in a condition called inferior vena cava syndrome.
When the inferior vena cava is blocked and results in inferior vena cava syndrome it causes swelling in the legs, lower back pain or belly pain and low blood pressure.
Common signs and symptoms of an inferior vena cava being blocked include:
Leg swelling in which fluid builds up in your feet, ankles and legs because blood can't flow upward.
Aching or pressure in your lower back, pelvis or abdomen.
Fast heart rate and low blood pressure, where your heart beats faster to try and pump less available blood and causes dizziness or fatigue.
And breathing trouble, like shortness of breath, which can occur if blood flow and oxygen levels drop.
The major causes of inferior vena cava blockage include blood clots, tumors, external pressure and medical devices.
A clot can form inside the vein and even move from the deep leg veins also known as deep vein thrombosis.
And tumor growths in the abdomen or liver pressing on the vein or growing into it and medical devices like a clogged or shifted inferior vena cava filter placed previously to catch clots.
And severe swelling, large masses or even late stage pregnancy pressing against the vessel are all causes of inferior vena blockage.
The most common cause of IVC obstruction are a blood clot known as thrombosis, which originates frequently from the extension of deep vein thrombosis or DVT in the lower limbs or iliac veins.
Thrombosis is primary clot formation inside the vessel or spreading from the iliac and femoropopliteal veins.
Other causes of IVC obstruction include extrinsic compression, tumor involopment and Iatrogenic factors.
Iatrogenic factors are the presence of medical devices like IVC filters or indwelling catheters.
Tumor Involopment is the direct growth or invasion into the vessel lumen by cancers such as renal cell carcinoma or hepatocellular carcinoma.
And extrinsic compression involves pressing from nearby structures such as malignant tumors, enlarged lymph nodes or an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
The function of the IVC also known as the inferior vena cava is to transport oxygen poor blood from your lower half of your body back to your heart.
The inferior vena cava is the largest vein in the human body.
Your inferior vena cava collects and gathers the blood that is deoxygenated from your legs, feet, pelvis and your abdominal organs, which includes everything below your diaphragm.
The inferior vena cava then delivers this deoxygenated blood directly into your right atrium, which is the upper right chamber of your heart.
Then your heart pumps the blood to your lungs to pick up fresh oxygen and the cycle repeats.
Your inferior vena cava is around 4 inches long and nearly 1 inch wide to handle the high volumes of blood.
And unlike the smaller veins in the body, the inferior vena cava does not contain any internal one way valves.
And blood movement upward toward your heart is also largely assisted by the changes in pressure and contractions of your diaphragm when you breathe.
Your inferior vena cava is located on the right side of the body and runs vertically along the right side of your spine and your abdominal aorta.
The superior vena cava carries blood from the head, neck, arms, and chest.
The inferior vena cava carries blood from the legs, feet, and organs in the abdomen and pelvis.
The most important veins in the body are the inferior vena cava, the superior vena cava, and the pulmonary veins.
Together, these large vessels handle all the blood flow returning to your heart.
The Pulmonary Veins are also some of the most important veins in the body.
Unlike almost every other vein in the body, these four special veins carry fresh, oxygen-rich blood from your lungs straight back to your heart.