In anatomy, the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) is a blood vessel that drains blood from the small intestine. At its termination behind the neck of the pancreas, the SMV combines with the splenic vein to form the hepatic portal vein. The SMV lies to the right of the similarly named artery, the superior mesenteric artery, which originates from the abdominal aorta. [WP,unvetted]. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_mesenteric_vein ]