Intermediate
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
exploratory laparotomy
Pronunciation: lap-uh-ROT-uh-mee
Surgical opening of the abdomen to investigate and treat suspected intra-abdominal injury or pathology.
Full Definition
Exploratory laparotomy involves making a midline incision through the abdominal wall to systematically examine intra-abdominal organs for injury, bleeding, or other pathology. In trauma surgery, it may be performed emergently for hemodynamic instability with suspected abdominal injury, or after positive imaging findings. The procedure follows a systematic approach examining specific anatomical regions in sequence.
Usage
Usage note: Commonly abbreviated as 'ex-lap' in informal clinical discussion but should be spelled out in formal documentation.
In Context
- "Given the patient's unstable vital signs and positive FAST, an emergent exploratory laparotomy was performed." — Operative report
- "The exploratory laparotomy revealed a grade III splenic laceration requiring splenectomy." — Surgical summary
Also known as
ex-lap
diagnostic laparotomy
Contrasted with
laparoscopy
Don't confuse with
emergency laparotomy
therapeutic laparotomy