Surgery Common Procedures Exploratory Laparotomy: Long-Term Care By Colleen Doherty, MD Colleen Doherty, MD, is a board-certified internist living with multiple sclerosis. Learn about our editorial process Colleen Doherty, MD Published on September 29, 2020 Print Courtney Hale / E+ / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Benefits of Surgery Possible Future Surgeries Lifestyle Adjustments An exploratory laparotomy, also called an "ex lap" or a celiotomy, involves a surgeon making a large abdominal incision in order to visualize a patient's organs and tissues for bleeding, disease, or injury. This major surgery is usually performed emergently in patients who have experienced abdominal trauma. It may also be performed electively to locate the source of a patient's symptoms. Healing from an exploratory laparotomy can take several weeks. Carefully following your surgeon's post-operative instructions and engaging in overall healthy lifestyle habits will optimize your chances for achieving a successful long-term recovery. Courtney Hale / E+ / Getty Images Benefits of Surgery The main benefit of an exploratory laparotomy is the potential diagnosis of a medical condition that cannot otherwise be found through less-invasive studies, such as imaging or laboratory tests. Examples of diagnoses that may result from an exploratory laparotomy include: A blockage or perforation (hole) in the stomach or intestinesAn intra-abdominal abscess (collection of infected fluid)Peritonitis (inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal cavity and the organs within)Intestinal ischemia (when blood supply to the intestines is cut off)An injured and bleeding blood vesselEndometriosisCancer of certain organs (e.g., ovaries, colon, liver, and pancreas). Another benefit of an exploratory laparotomy is that many medical diagnoses can be treated or "fixed" during the same operation. For example, if a surgeon discovers an injured blood vessel, they can repair it to stop any bleeding. Likewise, if an abscess is found, the surgeon can drain it. If an inflamed or diseased organ is discovered, the surgeon may remove it. Possible Future Surgeries As mentioned above, while some medical diagnoses can be treated during the same surgery, future surgeries may be needed in the following circumstances: If cancer is found through a tissue biopsyIf the surgery is performed emergently, and the patient has unstable vital signsIf, despite the surgery, the source of the patient's symptoms is still not able to be found Future surgeries may also be needed if a complication arises as a result of the patient undergoing an exploratory laparotomy. These surgeries may involve: Repairing a fistulaRepairing an incisional herniaRepairing an injury to an organ, like the intestines Lifestyle Adjustments Full recovery from an exploratory laparotomy usually takes around four to six weeks. The recovery process may be even longer in patients who undergo surgery emergently, have an extensive repair performed, or develop complications from the operation. Besides adhering to your surgeon's post-operative instructions—for example, wound care instructions, follow-up appointments, and activity restrictions—it's prudent to engage in healthy lifestyle habits after surgery. Such habits that can maintain or improve your health include: Maintaining a healthy weight, eating a well-balanced diet, and staying hydratedPracticing healthy sleep habits (e.g., getting 8 hours of sleep a night)Working with a physical therapist to find an exercise program tailored to your needsStopping and/or moderating alcohol intake (per your surgeon's instructions)Stopping smoking Interestingly, research suggests that certain psychological factors, like having an optimistic personality and religiousness, can also positively impact your recovery after surgery, as can engaging in various psychological interventions, like guided imagery or meditation. 10 Quick Tips: How to Recover Faster After Surgery A Word From Verywell Exploratory laparotomy is a major surgery that both patients and doctors generally like to avoid. This is because the operation is invasive, requires an extensive recovery time, and is usually performed emergently or as a last attempt at getting to the bottom of a patient's symptoms. Nevertheless, if you have undergone this surgery, try to remain as committed as possible to your post-operative care and instructions. Additionally, be sure to reach out to your surgeon with any questions or concerns (even if it's months later), and most importantly, be kind to yourself as you move forward with life after your operation. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Gejoe G, Yadev I, Rahul M. Emergency laparotomies at a tertiary care center—a hospital-based cross-sectional study. Indian J Surg. 2017;79(3):206–211. doi:10.1007/s12262-016-1446-5 Mount Sinai. Abdominal exploration. Updated January 2018. Moon J, Kang BH. Lateral approach of exploratory laparotomy through the open chest wall injury. Trauma Case Rep. 2018;18: 52–55. doi:10.1016/j.tcr.2018.11.012 Rajaretnam N, Burns B. Laparotomy (celiotomy). StatPearls. Updated March 21, 2019. Saint Lukes Health System. Exploratory laparotomy. Su X, Wang D-X. Improve postoperative sleep: what can we do? Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2018 Feb;31(1):83-88. doi:10.1097/ACO.0000000000000538 Hoogeboom TJ, Dronkers JJ, Hulzebos EHJ, van Meeterna NLU. Merits of exercise therapy before and after major surgery. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2014;27(2):161–166. doi:10.1097/ACO.0000000000000062 Jung MK. Alcohol exposure and mechanisms of tissue injury and repair. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2011;35(3): 92–399. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01356.x American Society of Anesthesiologists. Smoking. Mavros MN, Athanasiou S, Gkegkes ID, Polyzos KA, Peppas G, Falagas ME. Do psychological variables affect early surgical recovery? PLoS One. 2011;6(5):e20306. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0020306 Additional Reading Bisch S, Nelson G, Altman A. Impact of nutrition on enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in gynecologic oncology. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1088. doi:10.3390/nu11051088 Ramesh B, Chaithra M, Gupta P, Prasanna G. Anterior abdominal wall scar endometriosis: An enigma. J Obstet Gynaecol India. 2016;66(Suppl 2):636–638. doi:10.1007/s13224-015-0777-7