Major complications of abdominal surgery

This manuscript reviews the CT and radiographic findings of major complications following various kinds of abdominal surgeries, including hemorrhage, inflammatory process, and bowel obstruction, and presents representative cases. Intraperitoneal bleeding, small bowel obstruction secondary to adhesion, and abdominal abscess are major cause of morbidity and mortality. Radiologists must be familiar with various radiologic findings of these complications to avoid unnecessary damages to patients. However, radiologic patterns of these complications are diverse and relatively nonspecific. Understanding of clinical symptoms and post-surgical anatomy is also important to reach correct diagnosis.