Diagnosis and staging
Staging laparoscopy
Diagnostic laparoscopyExamination of the abdomen with a camera, through millimetre incisions, to see the true extent of peritoneal carcinomatosis and take biopsies before deciding on treatment.
It is performed under general anaesthesia through two or three millimetre incisions, lasts between thirty and forty-five minutes and involves no resections. Its purpose is diagnostic, not therapeutic.
It allows the real PCI to be calculated, biopsies to be taken, cytology of the peritoneal washing to be obtained, and critical areas such as the mesentery or the hepatic hilum to be checked for whether a complete cytoreduction is feasible.
It is indicated when imaging is inconclusive, before extensive cytoreductive surgery, and to reassess response after chemotherapy or PIPAC.
This explanation is intended as general information and does not replace a specialist assessment of an individual case.
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