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BACKGROUND	Anecdotal reports have demonstrated the feasibility of needle aspiration to deflate a distended bowel , but we do not know of any prospective study that has evaluated this technique .
BACKGROUND	We designed a controlled study to evaluate the use of the selective transperitoneal needle aspiration of a bowel loop ( STAB ) in infants .
METHODS	Candidates were patients of less than 6 months of age , scheduled for laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication , in whom severe colonic distension was observed .
METHODS	We randomized the patients to the study drug or placebo in a 1:1 mode .
METHODS	The treatment group received STAB , whereas the control group was subject to conventional maneuvers .
METHODS	We performed 403 Nissen procedures laparoscopically : 102 were in infants 6 months old , but only 44 presented severe transverse colonic distension .
RESULTS	STAB facilitated the surgical procedure and drastically reduced surgical time .
RESULTS	Thus , we calculated our sample size with use of the following inputs : 90 % power , a critical P value of .05 , and 50 % reduction in surgical time .
RESULTS	This resulted in a necessary sample size of 21 subjects per group , for a total required sample size of 42 subjects .
RESULTS	STAB procedures were done in 23 patients , and conventional measures were used in 21 .
RESULTS	STAB was attempted a total of 45 times .
RESULTS	Mean operative time was shorter in the STAB group .
CONCLUSIONS	We propose the use of STAB as alternative therapy to decompress a dilated large-bowel loop during laparoscopic surgery .
CONCLUSIONS	This maneuver is simple and efficient and has no clinical complications .
CONCLUSIONS	Future studies are required to evaluate its role in the subset of other patients or procedures .

