# laparotomy

Pronunciation: say "lap-uh-ROT-uh-mee" US /ˌlæpəˈɹɑtəmi/, UK /ˌlæpəˈɹɒtəmi/

## Noun

1. A surgical operation that makes a cut through the abdominal wall to reach the abdominal cavity, done either to explore or as the first step of a larger operation.
   - Simple: A surgery that cuts open the belly to reach the organs inside it.
   - _Surgeons performed an emergency laparotomy after the crash to control the internal bleeding._
   - _The team scheduled a laparotomy to investigate the unexplained mass in the patient's belly._

## Origin

Formed from the combining forms "laparo-," meaning the flank or abdomen, and "-tomy," meaning a cutting or incision.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/laparotomy (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).