The heart's veins
Cardiac veins and coronary sinus
Veins on the surface of the heart that return used blood from the heart muscle.
What it does
After blood has fed the heart muscle, it collects in cardiac veins that run alongside the coronary arteries. Most drain into the coronary sinus, a wide channel on the back of the heart that empties into the right atrium.
Surprising fact
Pacemaker leads used to coordinate both sides of a failing heart are often threaded into the coronary sinus and its veins.
Why it matters
Understanding the heart's veins has allowed doctors to place leads that help the left and right sides of a weak heart beat in step.
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.