Most of us know someone who has undergone a laparoscopic procedure. It is the standard in human medicine and is well documented to have a much smaller incision, less pain and a greater margin of safety. We use the exact same instrumentation in our patients. This system allows us to view abdominal organs magnified on a flat screen color high definition monitor. Applications are as numerous in veterinary medicine as in human medicine, the most recent being the use of laparoscopy for performing an ovarectomy / ovariohysterectomy (spay) or retained testicle neuter. A procedure that is often performed in conjunction with or, independently, is a gastropexy. This is widely recommended in all deep chested or large breed dogs to prevent the possibility of gastic dilatation or torsion which is a life threatening emergency. The most common indication for diagnostic laparoscopy is to visually inspect and biopsy abdominal organs or masses. The liver, pancreas, spleen, lymph nodes, adrenal glands, kidneys and abdominal masses are all amenable to laparoscopic biopsy. Because we are actually visualizing the organs, we can evaluate  neoplastic processes (cancer) more accurately so that appropriate treatment plans can be implemented.