Postsurgical colon

Abstract

Colorectal surgery is estimated to represent 28% of abdominal surgeries (Chu and Schoetz 2007). Indications for colorectal surgery include nonmalignant etiologies such as diverticular disease, volvulus, and inflammatory bowel disease as well as malignancies located in and throughout the course of the colon and rectum. Although some benign entities may be managed conservatively, surgery is often the foundation of treatment for many of these colorectal disorders. While there are relatively routine findings one will encounter in the imaging of the postoperative colon, there are specific features that make some of the postsurgical appearances unique. The following is a review of the anatomy and describes the common colorectal surgical procedures as well as the anatomic and pathologic findings on multi-detector CT (MDCT) of the abdomen and pelvis following colorectal surgery.