The innovative procedure performed by only a handful of centers globally to create two functioning ventricles out of one in children is the latest in a series of pioneering advancements introduced in the last year by the Heart Institute.

MIAMI, June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The cardiovascular surgery team at Nicklaus Children's Hospital's Heart Institute has successfully performed the first staged cardiac septation in the state of Florida on a 1-year-old baby. As one of only a handful of centers in the world offering this technique, Nicklaus Children's cardiovascular surgeons used a staged multi-step approach in order to "make a pathway" inside the heart so oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood can move in a way that helps the heart work effectively and will allow for the heart to continue to grow and improve circulation over time.

A staged heart septation offers a safer, more personalized approach for babies born with only one functioning ventricle by allowing surgeons to repair the heart in stages as the child grows. During this initial operation, surgeons were able to create two functioning ventricles out of one by dividing the ventricular cavity and anchoring the new septum.  In comparison to traditional single-staged repair surgeries, this novel approach reduces the stress on a newborn's heart and lungs while giving medical experts more flexibility to adapt treatment over time. The staged septation improves blood flow and creates better long-term outcomes and improves quality of life for children.

 Led by Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery, Co-director of the Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute as well as Professor and Researcher at the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Dr. David Kalfa, the leading-edge operation highlights his research and expertise in the treatment of congenital heart defects.

"The staged cardiac septation represents an important advancement in the treatment of children born with a single pumping chamber because it allows us to rebuild and adapt the heart in a more gradual and individualized way," says Dr. Kalfa. "For children born with this complex congenital heart disorder, this approach can reduce the strain of traditional single-stage surgeries while creating new opportunities for improved heart function, recovery and long-term quality of life."

Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defects, affecting nearly 1% of newborns in the U.S., or about 40,000 infants.

Backed in part by grant funding from the National Institutes of Health and collaborative research with FIU, Dr. Kalfa's work is advancing the future of congenital heart disease treatment and innovation.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital is ranked among the nation's "Best Children's Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report, with seven specialty ranked programs, including Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute ranked the #1 heart program for children in South Florida.

About Nicklaus Children's Health System Where Your Child Matters Most ™
For more than 75 years, Nicklaus Children's Health System has stood as a beacon of hope for children and families across the state of Florida and beyond. Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's #1 nonprofit, freestanding specialty licensed hospital exclusively for children. Nicklaus Children's provides pediatric care across a growing network of hospital and community-based partnerships, including care within NCH North Hospital in Naples, Jupiter Medical Center, select Baptist Health Hospital pediatric emergency units, and Nicklaus Children's Hospital Fort Lauderdale and Nicklaus Children's Hospital Coral Springs each located on the campuses of Broward Health. The hospitals and their network of more than 35 outpatient care locations offer lifesaving care in Miami-Dade, Broward, Martin and Palm Beach counties. outpatient locations include an array of urgent care, pediatric primary care and subspecialty care centers and are either hospital-based or outpatient locations under Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists, LLC (NCPS).Providing a pipeline of future physicians and groundbreaking research, Nicklaus Children's is an academic and clinical affiliate of the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Nicklaus Children's is home to centers of excellence including the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, the Nicklaus Children's Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute, Nicklaus Children's Neuroscience Institute and Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute. The 474-bed system is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, with many programs routinely ranked among the nation's best by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. Nicklaus Children's also includes a nonprofit physician practice subsidiary with more than 40 pediatric specialties and an ambulatory surgery center. For more information, visit nicklauschildrens.org.

Contact:
Alejandra Sanchez, PR Specialist
Nicklaus Children's Health System
Alejandra.sanchez@nicklaushealth.org 

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SOURCE Nicklaus Children's Hospital