Laparoscopic
In this surgical method, a laparoscope (a thin telescoping rod with a camera at the end) is used to see inside the body — without opening it completely — instead of making the 6- to 12-inch incisions that are made in open abdominal surgery, or laparotomy. Two to four small incisions of half an inch or less are used (one for the camera and the other for inserting surgical instruments). This minimally invasive surgery can also be called "keyhole surgery," which refers to these small incisions.