Surgeons can perform a laparoscopic or minimally invasive surgery to remove the stomach through a small incision. In this type of surgery, the surgeon makes a few small incisions in the abdomen and inserts thin instruments, including a laparoscope (a long, thin tube with a camera at the end), through the incisions. The laparoscope allows the surgeon to view the inside of the abdomen on a video monitor, while the thin instruments are used to perform the surgery.