Medical Conditions

• Among the medical conditions affecting the duodenum that a laparotomy is used to treat are peptic ulcers, intestinal cancer, intestinal perforations, diverticulitis and abdominal scar tissue.
  
  

Surgery

• A laparotomy is usually performed with the patient under general anesthesia.
  
  

Size and Location

• The specific medical condition the patient has determines the size and site of the laparotomy.
  
  

Risks

• According to the National Institutes of Health's Medline Plus Encyclopedia, the laparotomy procedure may sometimes lead to bleeding and infection, or an incisional hernia.
  
  

Diagnosis

• There are a number of diagnostic procedures, such as x-ray, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, that can be performed to determine if a laparotomy is needed.