Instead of a broad incision, minimal access surgery is performed with one or more small incisions. The surgeon inserts a telescope with a video camera into a body cavity through a small incision (usually about 1/4″ long). The operation is then seen on a TV monitor by the surgeon. Surgical devices are then moved through additional small incisions of a similar type. Using magnified images on a monitor, the surgeon examines and operates on the affected region. Laparoscopy is a technique that involves using a telescope to work on the abdomen. The technique is known as thoracoscopy when used in the lung, and arthroscopy when used in a joint.