Imaging of the postoperative liver: review of normal appearances and common complications

Several benign and malignant liver diseases may require surgical treatment for cure, including anatomical resections based on the segmental anatomy of the liver, non-anatomical (wedge) resections, and surgical management of biliary cysts. The type of surgery depends not only on the location and the nature of the disease, but also on the expertise of the surgeon. Whereas ultrasonography is often the first-line imaging examination in case of suspected postoperative complication, multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is of greater value for identifying normal findings after surgery, early postoperative pathologic fluid collections and vascular thromboses, and tumor recurrence in patients who have undergone hepatic surgery. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is the imaging modality of choice for depicting early postoperative bile duct injuries and ischemic cholangitis that may occur in the late postoperative phase. Both MDCT and MRCP can accurately depict tumor recurrence. Radiologists should become familiar with these surgical procedures to better understand postoperative changes, and with the normal imaging appearances of various postoperative complications to better differentiate between complications and normal findings.