Nicklaus Children’s Performs Florida’s First Staged Cardiac Septation

The operation, led by Dr. David Kalfa, marks a shift away from traditional single-stage repairs that often place significant stress on a newborn’s developing organs. By anchoring a new septum, the surgical team creates a pathway for oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to circulate more effectively. This staged approach offers clinicians the flexibility to adapt the heart's structure as the child grows, potentially increasing survival rates and quality of life for infants born with single-ventricle conditions.

Dr. Kalfa, who also serves as a researcher at the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, views this technique as a vital evolution in managing congenital heart defects. These conditions affect approximately 40,000 infants in the U.S. annually, representing the most common form of birth defect. Supported by National Institutes of Health grant funding, this work positions the Miami-based institution among a small group of global centers capable of performing such complex structural heart reconstructions.