In surgery terms the difference between laparotomy and hysterotomy

is that laparotomy is the surgical procedure for making an incision in the abdominal wall to gain access into the abdominal cavity. Performed either as exploratory surgery, or as the first step in an abdominal operation while hysterotomy is the surgical procedure of making an incision in the uterus, commonly combined with a laparotomy during a caesarean section.