Therapeutic or Preventive Procedure
laparotomy Audio
lap·a·rot·o·my [ lap-uh-rot-uh-mee ]
Subclass of:
Operative Surgical Procedures
Etymology:
Greek lapara = the flank + tome = cutting
Now applied to any operation which opens the peritoneal cavity.
Definitions related to laparotomy:
  • A surgical incision made in the wall of the abdomen.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Creation of a surgical opening into the abdominal cavity.
    NCI Thesaurus
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Incision into the side of the abdomen between the ribs and pelvis.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
  • Laparotomy, opening of the abdominal (or peritoneal) cavity. After laparotomy became reasonably safe, the whole field of abdominal surgery unfolded. Laparotomy requires (1) a safe cutting into the abdominal cavity through the skin, fat, muscles, muscular aponeuroses, and peritoneum in that order...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020
Try this search on: Farlex, Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionary, or Wordnik

This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.