Miami – September 15, 2026 -- Nicklaus Children's Hospital Heart Institute has completed one of the first transcatheter-based Fontan procedures performed in the United States, allowing a 2-year-old patient with double-outlet right ventricle to avoid an additional open-heart surgery. The child, born with a complex congenital heart defect, is recovering at home following the procedure.
Catheter-based technique replaces traditional open-heart surgery for Fontan completion
The care team used a catheter-based approach, guiding specialized equipment through a blood vessel to complete the child's Fontan circulation rather than performing conventional open-heart surgery. The Fontan procedure is typically the final stage in a multi-step surgical series for children born with single-ventricle heart defects, rerouting oxygen-poor blood from the body directly to the lungs without passing through a pumping chamber.
Procedure offers no incisions, shorter hospital stay and faster recovery for eligible patients
For children who qualify as candidates, the transcatheter method eliminates surgical incisions and reduces both hospital stay and recovery time compared with standard Fontan surgery. The approach requires careful patient selection, as not all children with single-ventricle defects will be eligible.
Interventional cardiology and cardiovascular surgery teams jointly planned the procedure
Dr. Shyam Sathanandam, chief of cardiovascular medicine at Nicklaus Children's Hospital and co-director of the Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute, led the procedure in collaboration with Dr. David Kalfa, chief of cardiovascular surgery. Both physicians hold academic appointments at FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. The interventional cardiology and cardiovascular surgery teams coordinated planning to execute the case.
"This achievement reflects an extraordinary level of collaboration and coordination between our surgical and interventional cardiology team," said Dr. Sathanandam. "It demonstrates what is possible when clinical expertise, innovation and teamwork come together to expand treatment options for children with the most complex heart conditions."
Heart Institute operates across four South Florida counties
The Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute provides cardiac imaging, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, cardiovascular surgery and critical care services, with consultations and follow-up available at more than 13 locations across Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties.