Miller Children's Performs First Renata Minima Stent Procedures

Long Beach, Calif. – September 17, 2026 -- The Children's Heart Institute at Miller Children's & Women's Hospital has completed two procedures using the Renata Minima Stent, the first FDA-approved stent system engineered specifically for neonates and infants weighing at least 1.5 kg (3.3 pounds) with pulmonary artery stenosis or coarctation of the aorta.

New stent expands with the patient, reducing repeat surgeries

Unlike conventional stents adapted from adult devices, the Minima Stent can be implanted in infancy and later expanded to accommodate an adult-sized blood vessel, eliminating the need for the stent-replacement surgeries typically required as a child grows.

Catheter-based technique avoids open-heart surgery in vulnerable infants

The device is delivered via a catheter through a vein or artery in the leg, allowing physicians to treat vascular stenosis -- a condition that restricts blood flow and strains the heart -- without open-heart intervention. "This technology represents a meaningful advancement in how we care for our smallest and most vulnerable patients," said Dr. Saar Danon, medical director of Pediatric Cardiology & Congenital Cardiac Catheterization at the Children's Heart Institute.

Bi-plane imaging lab guides precision placement for unique anatomies

The procedures were performed in Miller Children's & Women's dedicated cardiac catheterization laboratory, equipped with bi-plane imaging technology that displays blood flow from two angles simultaneously to map each patient's anatomy before stent placement.

Patients requiring intensive post-procedure monitoring are cared for in the hospital's dedicated Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit, supported by a multidisciplinary team of pediatric cardiologists, congenital cardiac surgeons, intensivists, anesthesiologists, nurses and therapists.