Status post
Read Your Scan Editorial Team·Last updated
Written from published radiology references and reviewed for plain language. Not written or signed by a physician, and not a diagnosis. How we write these pages →
In plain language
After. It marks a surgery or procedure you have already had, so the appearance that follows is expected rather than a new problem — "status post cholecystectomy" simply means your gallbladder was removed.
Where you’ll see this
The findings and impression, and often abbreviated to "s/p".
Your report may word it “s/p”, “Post-surgical changes” or “Postoperative changes”. These mean the same thing.
Questions worth asking your doctor
- Compared with my last scan, is this better, worse, or the same?
- How much change would matter enough to do something about it?
- When should the next scan be, and what would you be looking for?
Comparison with an earlier scan
See this word on your own scan
Upload your scan (de-identified in your browser) and your radiologist’s report, and every finding is mapped onto the images, explained in plain language and scored. Informational only — not a diagnosis.
Read Your Scan is informational only — not a medical diagnosis, and not a substitute for a licensed radiologist or your doctor. If you have urgent symptoms, seek care.