Serial transverse enteroplasty

Serial transverse enteroplasty (STEP) is a surgical procedure used primarily in the treatment of short bowel syndrome (SBS).

In STEP, by making cuts in the intestine and creating a zigzag pattern, surgeons lengthen the amount of bowel available to absorb nutrients.

Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is the condition in which a patient cannot absorb adequate nutrients because a portion of the small intestine is damaged or absent.

The other pigs underwent the bowel resection without the STEP procedure, serving as control subjects.

[3] Longitudinal intestinal lengthening and tapering (LILT), also known as the Bianchi procedure, is a surgical alternative to STEP.