Exploratory laparotomy is a commonly utilised surgical procedure to aid in the diagnosis or to facilitate an intervention. If approached in a systematic fashion with good pre-operative planning it is a powerful tool. However, poor planning or insufficient knowledge of abdominal cavity anatomy can make this an extremely unrewarding or stressful procedure. This lecture will review a systematic approach to an exploratory laparotomy in both pre-operative planning and intra-operative decision-making. The lecture will include a thorough overview of abdominal anatomy and potentially take you places that you may have never seen!