laparotomy
Meaning of laparotomy: A laparotomy is an open surgical incision through the abdominal wall, performed to directly examine, diagnose, or treat conditions inside the abdominal cavity.
Definition of laparotomy
A laparotomy is a surgical procedure in which an incision is made through the wall of the abdomen to gain direct access to the organs and structures within the abdominal cavity. It may be performed to diagnose the cause of abdominal pain or injury when the cause is not clear from imaging alone, or to carry out a planned surgical treatment.
Because a laparotomy opens the abdominal cavity directly through a single larger incision, it allows a surgeon broad access and the ability to examine multiple organs during the same procedure, which can be important in emergencies such as trauma or suspected internal bleeding.
A laparotomy is distinct from a laparoscopy, in which a surgeon operates through several small incisions using a camera and narrow instruments. Laparoscopy generally involves a shorter recovery, but a laparotomy may still be chosen or become necessary when broader direct access to the abdomen is required.
How laparotomy is built
- lapar/o Combining form · Greek abdomen, abdominal wall
- -otomy, -tomy Suffix · Greek cutting into, incision
A medical term is read from its ending backwards: the suffix first, then the prefix, then the root. See all 223 word parts.
Used in a sentence
An exploratory laparotomy was performed to identify the source of the patient's abdominal bleeding.
Good to know
A laparotomy is distinguished from a laparoscopy by the size and number of incisions used, a difference that affects recovery time and is a key consideration in surgical planning.
Word origin
Where “laparotomy” comes from
Formed from Greek lapara, meaning flank, the soft part of the body between the ribs and hip, and -tomy, from tome, meaning cutting.