Vaginal hysterectomy

Laparoscopy is direct visual examination of the inside of the abdomen, using a viewing device that can be passed through a small cut in the abdominal wall. The device, called a laparoscope, usually has fibre-optic illumination and viewing channels. A miniature camera is usually attached to allow the procedure to be monitored on a colour screen.

Laparoscopy can be used by any specialist concerned with disease of the abdominal organs. It is used for diagnosis by general surgeons, and by gynaecologists for the investigation of disorders of the female reproductive organs in the pelvis. It can help to diagnose conditions that are difficult to identify with certainty in any other way short of an exploratory abdominal operation, such as endometriosis and adhesions. With the use of small instruments, laparoscopy can also be used to perform surgery formally done by laparotomy (large incision).