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 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. 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 stage more accurately neoplastic processes so that appropriate treatment plans can be implemented.