Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPurposeHow to PrepareWhat to ExpectRecoveryLong-Term Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Purpose
How to Prepare
What to Expect
Recovery
Long-Term Care
An exploratorylaparotomy, also known as a celiotomy or “ex lap,” is a type of major surgery that involves opening the abdomen with a large incision in order to visualize the entire abdominal cavity. Your abdominal cavity contains a variety of organs and tissues, including the intestines, appendix, stomach, ovaries, and kidneys, to name a few.
An exploratory laparotomy is done to diagnose and possibly treat related issues that cannot otherwise be seen (and sometimes, managed) through less-invasive methods.
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What Is Exploratory Laparotomy?
The precise timing of the operation depends on the reason for the surgery and what is found during surgical exploration.
Various Surgical Techniques
While an exploratory laparotomy is traditionally an open surgery, this surgery can also be performed laparoscopically.
The decision to perform the procedure open or laparoscopically rests with the surgeon and what, if anything, they expect to find during surgery.
In the majority of cases, the open technique is reserved for the following circumstances:
Trauma, such as a car accident or a penetrating injury (stabbing orgunshot wound), is a frequent cause of abdominal injuries that must be diagnosed or treated with a traditional laparotomy, as opposed to a laparoscopic approach.
Contraindications
There are no absolute contraindications to undergoing an exploratory laparotomy. However, patients with certain serious health concerns—multiple medical problems, sepsis, or widespread metastatic cancer—may not be good candidates.
Potential Risks
In addition to the general risks of anesthesia and surgery (e.g.,blood clots,pneumonia), an exploratory laparotomy poses its own risks.
Of course, the precise risks vary based upon the underlying problem or disease that makes the procedure necessary. Generally speaking, though, complications that may occur include the following:
Purpose of Exploratory Laparotomy
In some cases, tissue biopsy and/or treatment of the underlying problem is also performed during the same surgery.
Exploratory laparotomy may be used to explore the following organs and structures:
Examples of diagnoses that may result from a surgeon performing an exploratory laparotomy include:
Prior to your surgery, you will meet with your surgeon and a nurse from the anesthesia team. During these appointments, be sure to inform them of any allergies you have and all the medications you are taking.
These types of medications include the following:
Once your surgery is scheduled, your surgeon will provide you with instructions on how to prepare for the operation.
These instructions may include the following:
Recovery After Surgery
It’s important to keep in mind that for emergent exploratory laparotomies, the preparation protocol is different because the patient has a potentially life-threatening condition. In these time-sensitive situations, the healthcare team must balance carrying out therapies that will optimize the patient’s outcome, while not delaying surgery unnecessarily.
Some of these preparatory strategies may include administering:
What to Expect on the Day of Surgery
During an exploratory laparotomy, you can expect the following steps:
While the recovery time for an exploratory laparotomy varies based on the extent of the surgery, you can expect to stay in the hospital for approximately five to 10 days. Full recovery from an exploratory laparotomy may take four to six weeks.
Emergent exploratory laparotomies performed as a result of trauma (for example, a patient who was in a car accident withinternal bleeding) may require a longer healing period.
Likewise, a patient with cancer may have a more complicated recovery, as the treatment for their cancer may overlap with recovery. The same is true when having an additional surgical procedure with the laparotomy.
Once discharged from the hospital, in order to maximize healing after surgery and to minimize the possibility of complications, it’s important to carefully follow your surgeon’s instructions for post-operative care.
Some of these instructions may include the following:
When to Seek Medical AttentionAs you recover from surgery, contact your surgical team right away if you notice any of the following symptoms:Signs of infection around the surgical site (e.g., increased tenderness, redness, warmth, or abnormal discharge from the wound)Fever, chills, or muscle achesCoughPersistent or worsening abdominal pain or swellingNausea or vomitingDifficulties with urination or having a bowel movementSeek medical attention emergently if you experience fainting, trouble breathing, or swelling or pain in your legs.
When to Seek Medical Attention
As you recover from surgery, contact your surgical team right away if you notice any of the following symptoms:Signs of infection around the surgical site (e.g., increased tenderness, redness, warmth, or abnormal discharge from the wound)Fever, chills, or muscle achesCoughPersistent or worsening abdominal pain or swellingNausea or vomitingDifficulties with urination or having a bowel movementSeek medical attention emergently if you experience fainting, trouble breathing, or swelling or pain in your legs.
As you recover from surgery, contact your surgical team right away if you notice any of the following symptoms:
Seek medical attention emergently if you experience fainting, trouble breathing, or swelling or pain in your legs.
Once you are finished with the immediate recovery from an exploratory laparotomy, you may need further treatments, including additional surgeries, based on the surgeon’s findings. In order to move forward with any additional therapies, and to ensure you are healing well, you will likely have multiple follow-up appointments.
No doubt, the entire process from the start of surgery to recovering from it can be time-intensive, as well as physically and emotionally taxing. Try to lean on loved ones during this time.
A Word From Verywell
Due to advancements in imaging techniques and medical therapies, exploratory laparotomy is probably less commonly performed than it was in the past. Regardless, this type of surgery remains a cornerstone for treating various, oftentimes life-threatening conditions. It will, therefore, remain a part of standard medical care.
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