ABSTRACT
Advances in both imaging capabilities and postprocessing methods have broadened the way in which radiologists can assist urologists in managing laparoscopic surgery patients. For instance, the days of merely characterizing and staging a renal tumor and then later assessing for recurrent or metastatic disease are now gone. The development of multislice computed tomography scanners that can rapidly obtain thin slice image data, advancements in magnetic resonance imaging software design and coil technology, the emergence of sophisticated three-dimensional rendering methods, and the development of laparoscopic ultrasound probes have now allowed the radiologist to participate in the planning of laparoscopic surgery, guiding its performance, and then following patients for possible complications or tumor recurrence.
