Laparoscopy, lap uh ROS kuh pee, is a surgical technique used to examine organs and to detect and treat certain diseases within the abdomen. Doctors use an instrument called a laparoscope to perform this technique. The laparoscope is a metal tube with lenses, an illumination system, and a channel for surgical instruments. It is inserted into the abdomen through a small opening made in the abdominal wall. The doctor can observe the liver, gallbladder, spleen, and, in a woman, the reproductive organs. Laparoscopy allows doctors to detect cirrhosis or cancer of the liver, and disorders of other abdominal organs and the lining of the abdominal cavity.