Venous drainage usually mirrors colonic arterial supply, with the inferior mesenteric vein draining into the splenic vein, and the superior mesenteric vein joining the dual action cleanse splenic vein to cut the portal vein that then enters the liver.
Lymphatic drainage from the entire colon and proximal two-thirds of the rectum is to the paraortic nodes that then drain into the cisterna chyli. The lymph from the remaining rectum and anus can either follow the same route, dual action cleanse or drain to the interior illiac and dual action cleanse superficial inguinal dual action cleanse nodes. The dentate line only roughly marks this transition.