Three FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine faculty members have collaborated on Florida's first robotics-assisted pediatric cardiac surgery, highlighting the impact of academic medicine partnerships among Florida International University, Nicklaus Children's, and Baptist Health.
The procedure, performed at Nicklaus Children's Hospital Heart Institute, involved the repair of an atrial septal defect (ASD) in a child using robotic assistance. The achievement is a first in Florida and among only a handful of similar procedures performed nationwide.
The surgical team
The surgery was led by Dr. David Kalfa, a trailblazing pediatric cardiac surgeon who was the first joint hire of the FIU/Nicklaus Children's partnership. Kalfa is chief of cardiovascular surgery and co-director of the Nicklaus Children's Hospital Heart Institute and also serves as a professor and researcher at FIU Medicine.
"The successful completion of this case demonstrates what is possible when innovation, preparation and multidisciplinary expertise come together in the service of children with heart conditions," Kalfa said.
The surgical team included cardiac surgeons from Baptist Health with expertise in robotic surgery, who normally operate on adults.
Dr. Tom C. Nguyen, an internationally recognized minimally invasive heart surgeon, is a professor and chair of the Department of Surgical Sciences at FIU Medicine. He is the system chief medical executive of Baptist Health Heart & Vascular Care and director of minimally invasive surgery at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute.
Dr. Makoto Hashimoto, who led one of Japan's largest heart programs before being recruited as the first major joint hire of the FIU/Baptist Health alliance, is a cardiac surgeon at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and a professor and director of robotic cardiac surgery at FIU Medicine.
"Through our deepening partnerships with Baptist Health and Nicklaus Children's, we're attracting exceptional talent to South Florida. Recruiting great people is the first step. The real magic happens when they start working together, and this is a great example of that."
The benefits of robotic heart surgery
For patients who qualify, robotic cardiac surgery can offer several advantages over traditional open-heart procedures, including smaller incisions, faster recovery, and improved outcomes. In this case, the young patient was able to go home the day after surgery.
"Small incisions make a big difference, especially in children," Nguyen said. "This milestone demonstrates what can be achieved when highly specialized teams come together around a shared commitment to advancing patient care. By bringing together expertise in pediatric and adult cardiac surgery, we were able to support an innovative approach while maintaining the careful planning, collaboration and focus on patient safety that complex cardiac care requires."
While robotic surgical systems are widely used in many adult surgical specialties, their use in pediatric and congenital heart surgery remains limited to a small number of highly specialized centers because of the technical expertise, multidisciplinary coordination and careful patient selection required.
Earlier this year, the same three FIU faculty physicians joined forces to treat a 73-year-old South Miami man born with a heart defect that had gone undetected his entire life. Carlos Perez arrived in the emergency room at Baptist Health with a dangerously fast, irregular heartbeat. To his and the medical team's surprise, physicians discovered Perez had a five-chambered heart – instead of the normal four chambers. "Because this congenital heart condition is so rare, Dr. Kalfa gave us valuable insights before and during the surgery," said Hashimoto. Because the robotic procedure was minimally invasive, Perez recovered quickly and was discharged after just six days in the hospital.
These cases, involving two patients generations apart who needed expert cardiac surgery, demonstrate what is possible when physicians can draw on expertise across specialties and institutions to solve complex problems.
Collaborative research
Beyond the operating room, all three physicians are advancing research through FIU. The Kalfa Lab for Congenital Heart Research is developing long-term storage systems for donor heart valves and other tissues. Nguyen is partnering with researchers at FIU College of Engineering and Computing on an AI-powered stethoscope, while Hashimoto is working with medical students on complex case studies and exploring how surgeons acquire and refine robotic cardiac surgery skills.
Together, their work shows how FIU and its clinical partners are helping ensure patients of all ages have access to the best care available close to home.
