New FDA-approved Minima Stent grows with a child's heart, preventing the need for open heart surgeries
MIAMI, FL — Nicklaus Children's Hospital's Heart Institute is ushering in a new era of cardiac treatment for children across South Florida. Nicklaus Children's is the first hospital in South Florida to offer the latest innovative Minima Stent from Renata Medical, the first FDA-approved heart stent that expands as the child grows. This innovation gives new hope to babies and young children with congenital heart disease, helping them avoid repeated open-heart surgeries.
The Minima Stent is the first and only stent engineered for children's cardiovascular system. Unlike traditional stents, which are designed for adults and have limited expansion, the Minima Stent can be safely dilated as a child grows. This adaptability reduces the need for repeated surgical interventions to treat conditions such as coarctation of the aorta and branch pulmonary stenosis.
“This is an exciting milestone for the children of South Florida and around the country,” said Dr. Sathanandam, chief of cardiovascular medicine and co-director of the Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute, who helped pioneer the technology alongside Renata Medical leaders. “When we created this technology, the goal was to address a long-standing gap in pediatric cardiology by providing a safe, expandable solution tailored to the unique needs of growing children. At Nicklaus Children's, we are proud to lead the way in bringing this transformative technology to South Florida.”
The Minima Stent is designed for use in small blood vessels and can be expanded to adult size over time, offering long-term adaptability. This innovation represents a significant leap forward in the care of children with congenital heart disease.
“Up until now, we have had to adapt adult stents for children, exposing them to multiple procedures through adulthood,” said Dr. Daniel Duarte Caceres, congenital interventional cardiologist and medical director of interventional cardiology at Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute. “The Minima Stent is purpose-built for our youngest and most fragile patients, giving us a tool that grows with them and spares them from repeated interventions. This represents a new era in how we care for children with congenital heart disease.”
The Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute is internationally recognized for its expertise in pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery, caring for thousands of children each year with congenital and acquired heart conditions.
The state-of-the art Pediatric and Congenital Catheterization Program at Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute is widely recognized as one of the world's leaders, utilizing the latest innovations in imaging and device technologies to perform both simple and complex interventions that can reduce – or even eliminate – the need for open-heart surgery.
For more information about Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute, visit www.nicklauschildrens.org/heart.