Surgical procedure that uses an abdominal incision to open the abdominopelvic cavity for scrutiny.
An open diagnostic operation within the abdomen. An exploratory laparotomy is performed when noninvasive tests fail to reveal the cause of symptoms, such as inflammation, abdominal distension, pain, vomiting, and fever. Intestinal obstructions, ruptured ulcers, cancer, ovarian cysts, and ectopic pregnancies are commonly diagnosed by laparotomy. When operable tumors, obstructions, or other problems are discovered during a laparotomy, the surgeon removes or otherwise treats them during the procedure.