Computed tomography imaging of complications in postoperative cyanotic congenital heart diseases - A pictorial essay

Cross-sectional imaging plays an essential role in the diagnosis and management of various structural and functional changes that occur in the postoperative period after palliative or corrective surgical procedures performed for congenital heart diseases (CHD). Although echocardiography is the mainstay for the evaluation of CHD, it is limited by poor acoustic window post-surgery in addition to being operator dependent. Computed tomography (CT) allows for the comprehensive evaluation of the post-surgical anatomy and complications after repair for cyanotic CHD. Radiologists and cardiac imagers should be familiar with these expected changes after surgeries performed for various cyanotic CHDs, to obtain diagnostic quality cardiac CT images and to promptly recognise the abnormal post-operative appearances in this patient population. In this review, we describe the various CT features of complications that can be encountered after repair of cyanotic CHDs. •CT is the mainstay in evaluation of complications associated with post-operative CHD•Knowledge of the expected post-operative anatomy and common complications is crucial for early diagnosis and management.•Careful observation of the heart, vasculature, lungs and mediastinum form the basis of reading a post-operative CHD scan.