Final answer:
In patients with right-sided heart failure and elevated systemic venous pressure, a likely development is the marked dilation of the hepatic veins. This occurs because increased systemic venous pressure leads to congestion in the liver, causing changes in the hepatic veins, including dilation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Patients with right-sided heart failure often experience an increase in systemic venous pressure due to the heart's reduced capacity to pump blood effectively. This increased pressure in the systemic circulation can lead to various complications, one of which is the marked dilation of the hepatic veins. When the right side of the heart fails, it results in a rise in pressure within the vena cavae and can cause congestion in organs drained by systemic veins, including the liver. The hepatic vein, which is responsible for draining systemic blood from the liver into the inferior vena cava, becomes dilated as a consequence of this congestion. The dilation of hepatic veins is indicative of the changes occurring in the liver due to the increased venous pressure