Serial transverse enteroplasty for short bowel syndrome: a case report

The patient is a 2-year-old boy born with gastroschisis and midgut volvulus that left him dependent on total parenteral nutrition (TPN). At 11 months of age, a Bianchi procedure was performed increasing the total length of bowel from 72 cm to 130 cm. Although he appeared to have sufficient bowel length, he continued to have malabsorption and could only tolerate 10% of his caloric requirement enterally. A barium study found significant dilatation of the lengthened small bowel. At 23 months, we performed a novel bowel lengthening procedure that we have reported previously in an animal model. The serial transverse enteroplasty (STEP) operation increased the 83 cm of dilated and previously lengthened bowel to 147 cm, making the total small bowel length 200 cm. The patient tolerated the procedure well and began to have semisolid bowel movements. Small intestinal absorptive capacity measured by D-xylose absorption showed a substantial increase from 5 to 12 mg/dL (normal range, >20), implying improved but not completely normal small bowel function. This case shows that the STEP procedure increases intestinal length, can be used after a prior Bianchi, and may result in improved intestinal absorptive capacity. The STEP procedure should be considered a surgical option for children with short bowel syndrome.