Laparotomy (also known as celiotomy), is an abdominal surgical procedure in which large incision is made to gain access to abdominal cavity. This surgical procedure is performed to examine various abdominal organs such as stomach, intestine and liver for their proper functioning. Laparotomy also helps in diagnosing various abnormalities in the vital abdominal organs. Laparotomy when performed for diagnostic purposes, termed as exploratory laparotomy. Various disorders that can be identified and treated include colon cancer and peptic ulcer.
 
Laparotomy incision can be made via three ways that include midline incision, Kocher incision, Davis/Rockey-Davis incision, Pfannenstiel incision, lumbotomy and cherney incision.

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