A 24-year-old woman with medically refractory ulcerative colitis decides to undergo a total colectomy. During this procedure, where would it be most appropriate to look for the inferior mesenteric vein in order to ligate it?
A. Look for the inferior mesenteric artery; the veins of the colon usually parallel with the corresponding arteriesThe inferior mesenteric vein does not run with the inferior mesenteric artery. Instead, it travels cranially in the retroperitoneum over the psoas and then posterior to the pancreas to join the splenic vein. The vein is often ligated at the inferior edge of the pancreas during a colectomy.