CT and MR imaging of complications of partial nephrectomy

The standard treatment for renal cell carcinoma for many years was radical nephrectomy, but in the past decade there has been a trend toward elective nephron-sparing surgery. Initially, partial nephrectomy was performed with an open surgical approach; more recently and with increasing frequency, a laparoscopic approach has been used in selected cases. Nephron-sparing surgery with either approach is more complex than is traditional radical nephrectomy and more frequently results in complications. The possible complications of partial nephrectomy include vascular, collecting system, and technical complications as well as recurrent tumor and infection. For prompt diagnosis and appropriate management of these complications, radiologists must be familiar with normal and abnormal features in the postoperative appearance of the kidney at computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.