During laparoscopic surgery, a tiny camera (the laparoscope) and other surgical instruments are inserted through very small incisions in the skin, each about 1/2 inch long. Using a video monitor in the operating room, the surgeon visualizes structures inside the body and performs the operation on the colon. That portion of the colon containing the tumor may be brought outside of the body through another small opening. After the diseased section of the colon is removed, the healthy portions of the colon are connected to each other.