Diagnostic laparoscopy is a procedure that allows the health care provider to look directly at the contents of the abdomen and pelvis, including the fallopian tubes, ovaries, uterus, small bowel, appendix, liver, and gallbladder. The purpose of this examination is to directly assess the presence of pathology: for example inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis), appendix (appendicitis), and pelvic organs (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease). Additionally, the health care provider may wish to exclude abdominal trauma by laparoscopy rather than a large abdominal incision (laparotomy). Finally, large operations, such as liver and pancreatic resections, may begin with laparoscopy to exclude the presence of additional tumors (metastatic disease) that would preclude curative resection.