Human coronary venous anatomy: implications for interventions.

The coronary venous system is a highly variable network of veins that drain the deoxygenated blood from the myocardium. The system is made up of the greater cardiac system, which carries the majority of the deoxygenated blood to the right atrium, and the smaller cardiac system, which drains the blood directly into the heart chambers. The coronary veins are currently being used for several biomedical applications, including but not limited to cardiac resynchronization therapy, ablation therapy, defibrillation, perfusion therapy, and annuloplasty. Knowledge of the details of the coronary venous anatomy is essential for optimal development and delivery of treatments using this vasculature. This article is part of a JCTR special issue on Cardiac Anatomy.