Postoperative cardiopulmonary thoracic imaging.

An appreciation of the normal postoperative changes and complications following cardiac surgical procedures is essential when interpreting postoperative imaging studies. This article focuses on both the normal postoperative appearances and the imaging of complications following common cardiac surgical procedures. Irrespective of the specific nature of the surgery, certain common complications may occur, either from the surgery itself,the use of cardiac bypass, or the patient's underlying cardiac disorder. Postoperative imaging after specific thoracic cardiovascular surgeries is also discussed.