Post-operative Appearances

Recognition of expected post-operative or post-procedure appearances is required for the correct interpretation of neuroimaging findings in any patient with a history of previous surgery or neurointervention. Failure to recognise such findings as being post-surgical in origin could lead to misdiagnosis as pathology. All radiology residents require knowledge of neurosurgical techniques and their associated imaging findings in order to accurately interpret and report imaging studies performed in the post-operative setting. This chapter provides an overview of the main approaches used in neurosurgery, their indications and their expected early and late post-operative appearances. Important neurosurgical complications and the imaging features that allow them to be identified are also discussed. In addition, this chapter reviews commonly implanted devices, both nonvascular and vascular, to ensure that they are recognized and described appropriately. The expected location of such devices is emphasised so that inappropriate device positioning can be rapidly diagnosed. This chapter also briefly discusses the implications of such devices for MRI safety.