lapar-, laparo- +
(Greek: the soft part of the body between the ribs and the hip, flank, loin; denotes the flank or loins and the abdominal wall or a part of the abdomen)
Sometimes this element is used loosely (even incorrectly) as a reference to the abdomen in general.
2. An opening into an oviduct made through an abdominal incision.
The laparoscope is a type of endoscope, the earliest of which, dating from 150 years ago, was a crude tube down which lamplight was reflected. With the advent of fiberoptics in the 1960's and of high-intensity, low-heat, halogen bulbs in the 1970's, endoscopy became clinically practical.
Typically, in laparoscopy, the abdomen is first inflated with carbon dioxide, and the laparoscope passed through a small incision in the abdominal wall. The device is frequently used to view the female reproductive organs, in particular where endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease is thought to be present, or infertility is suspected because of obstruction of the fallopian tubes by scarring (adhesions).
Fitted with grasping and cutting tools, the laparoscope can perform minor surgery, take tissue samples for biopsy, and remove eggs from the ovaries (as in gamete intrafallopian transfer). Often done on an ambulatory basis, laparoscopy is among the new techniques that have revolutionized modern surgery.
2. An examination of body cavities during certain types of surgery; for example, surgeries to remove fibroid tumors, or gall bladders, are often removed through the navel rather than cutting into the body.
2. Surgical incision through the flank; less correctly, but more generally, abdominal section at any point to gain access to the peritoneal cavity.