Collaboration Between Baptist Health and Nicklaus Children's Hospital Drives First Pediatric Robotic-Assisted Cardiac Surgery
4 min. read
Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute
Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and Nicklaus Children's Hospital Heart Institute have achieved a major milestone in pediatric heart care, completing the first robotics-assisted atrial septal defect (ASD) repair in a pediatric patient in Florida, and one of only a few such procedures performed nationwide.
The procedure highlights the power of collaboration between two leading cardiovascular programs, combining Baptist Health’s expertise in robotic cardiac surgery with Nicklaus Children’s nationally recognized leadership in congenital heart care. The teams worked together to bring an advanced minimally invasive option to children and adolescents with congenital heart disease.
Bringing Robotic Innovation to Congenital Heart Surgery
Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect, affecting nearly 1 percent of newborns in the United States. For this milestone procedure, surgeons repaired an atrial septal defect, a hole in the wall separating the heart’s upper chambers, using a robotic-assisted surgical system.
The technology allows surgeons to perform highly precise movements through small incisions while maintaining full control throughout the operation.
For qualified patients, this approach can offer significant advantages compared with traditional open-heart surgery, including smaller incisions, avoidance of sternotomy, less postoperative discomfort, faster recovery, and improved cosmetic outcomes.
The procedure was led by David Kalfa, M.D., chief of cardiovascular surgery and co-director of the Nicklaus Children's Hospital Heart Institute, in collaboration with Tom C. Nguyen, M.D., FACS, FACC, system chief medical executive of Baptist Health Heart & Vascular Care, director of minimally invasive surgery at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, and chair and professor of the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at FIU Medicine, and Makoto Hashimoto, M.D.,, cardiac surgeon at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and director of robotic cardiac surgery at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
The accomplishment reflects a unique partnership among Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and Florida International University. Together, the institutions have fostered an environment where academic medicine, advanced surgical expertise and interdisciplinary teamwork can accelerate innovation and treatment options in South Florida.
This academic medicine model integrates patient care, research, innovation and physician education to advance clinical excellence, strengthen the healthcare workforce and improve the health of the community.
Combining Pediatric and Adult Cardiac Expertise
“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,” says Dr. Kalfa. “This milestone reflects a powerful collaboration among Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and FIU, and we are proud to bring this advanced, minimally invasive option to pediatric patients in South Florida.
The success of the procedure was made possible through extensive coordination between pediatric and adult cardiac specialists, robotic surgery experts, anesthesiologists, nurses and support teams. Bringing together expertise from both institutions enabled the team to adapt highly specialized robotic techniques for use in pediatric cardiac care, while maintaining the highest standards of safety and quality.
“Small incisions make a big difference, especially in children," explains Dr. Nguyen. “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."
Building on an Established Partnership
This latest achievement builds on a growing relationship between Baptist Health and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital that has already demonstrated the value of combining complementary expertise to solve complex cardiac challenges.
Earlier this year, the two institutions collaborated to treat a 73-year-old patient diagnosed with “cor triatriatum,” an extremely rare congenital heart defect commonly identified and treated in childhood. Because the condition is congenital in nature but was discovered in an older adult, the case required expertise from both pediatric congenital heart specialists and adult cardiac surgeons. Physicians from Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute worked alongside the Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute team to develop a treatment strategy tailored to the patient’s unique anatomy and age-related considerations.
That first-of-its-kind collaboration highlighted how the strengths of both organizations can be leveraged to provide specialized care across the lifespan.
The success of that program helped lay the groundwork for future innovations, including the recent pediatric robotics-assisted ASD repair.While robotic technology has become increasingly common in adult surgical specialties, its use in pediatric and congenital heart surgery remains limited to a small number of highly specialized centers nationwide because of the expertise, coordination and patient selection required. With this milestone procedure, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital joins a select group of institutions offering robotics-assisted cardiac interventions for pediatric patients.
Featured Providers
Tom C Nguyen, MD
Dr. Nguyen is an internationally recognized minimally invasive heart surgeon and believes that small incisions make a big difference. He is the System chief executive of Baptist Health Heart & Vascular Care and chief medical executive of Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, as well as director of minimally invasive surgery and the Barry T. Katzen Endowed Chair at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and chair and professor of the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. In his role as Chief Medical Executive, he leads cardiac surgery, cardiology, vascular surgery, and interventional radiology for the 12-hospital health network.
His outcomes score in the top 98.7% in the national Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ (STS) database. Dr. Nguyen recently came from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), where he was the chief of cardiothoracic surgery and Charles Schwab Distinguished Professor. During his tenure at UCSF, Dr. Nguyen helped transform cardiothoracic surgery, while establishing benchmark figures in quality, outcomes and research.
Dr. Nguyen graduated from Rice University and then worked in Switzerland at the World Health Organization. Although he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, he decided to pursue medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He says that there’s much poetry and music written about the heart, but that when he witnessed the panache of a heartbeat, he was hooked; therefore, he has dedicated the past 30 years to becoming the best heart doctor he can be. Dr. Nguyen completed his surgery training at Stanford, where he received the Outstanding ICU award and the Intern of the Year Award. He then completed a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at Columbia University as well as a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) fellowship at Emory. During this time, he was the President of the Thoracic Surgery Resident’s Association (TSRA).
Thanks to his passion for teaching and mentorship, Dr. Nguyen received the Benjy Brooks Outstanding Clinical Faculty Award, as well as teaching awards from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation and the American College of Surgeons. He has volunteered as a surgeon across the globe and lived in Africa (Asmara, Eritrea) to share experiences with others.
Dr. Nguyen is active in research at a regional, national, and international level. He has published nearly 300 peer-reviewed articles, serves on the editorial boards of four academic journals and is the editor of several textbooks. Before turning 40, he received the Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award. Dr. Nguyen leads research trials on treatments for valve disease. He has been principal investigator on landmark trials exploring transcatheter technologies. He recently served as president of the 21st Century Cardiothoracic Surgery Society and is a director of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS). He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF), CTSNet, and the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS).
As an immigrant growing up in America, Dr. Nguyen learned more than English by watching Saturday morning cartoons. He learned about dreams, mentorship, and serendipity. He appreciates that healthcare revolves not around models and formulas, but around people. He also appreciates that his success is not his own, but reflections from countless mentors and fortuitous events. Recognizing his good fortune, he vows to pay it forward. He strives every day to deserve the privilege of practicing medicine and is committed to treating patients like family.
Dr. Nguyen is married to Dr. Gina Landinez, an interventional radiologist, and is the proud dad of two beautiful daughters.
Makoto Hashimoto, MD
Makoto Hashimoto, M.D., is a fellowship-trained cardiac surgeon at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute. He is professor and director of robotic cardiac surgery at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. He specializes in robotic cardiac surgery and minimally invasive cardiac surgery, including coronary artery revascularization. He treats such conditions as valvular heart disease, ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrhythmia and adult congenital cardiac disease.
Prior to joining Baptist Health, Dr. Hashimoto was director of the Center of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery and Robotic Cardiac Surgery, part of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Sapporo Cardiovascular Clinic in Japan.
Dr. Hashimoto earned his medical degree at Shimane University School of Medicine in Izumo, Japan and a Ph.D. in Medical Science at Sapporo Medical University in Sapporo, Japan. He completed two cardiac surgery residencies — one at Sapporo Medical University Hospital and the other at Hokkaido Prefectural Kitami Hospital in Kitami, Japan. He also completed two cardiovascular fellowships — one at Tomishiro Central Hospital in Tomigusuku, Japan and the other at Sakakibara Heart Institute in Fuchu, Japan. During his career, he has published numerous scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Hashimoto is passionate about robotic cardiac surgery because, compared to open-heart surgery, it offers advanced, safe and reliable treatment while also enabling patients to heal faster and return to their normal activities more quickly. “As a cardiac surgeon, I live by the meaning of this phrase by Leonardo da Vinci: ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,’” Dr. Hashimoto said.
Dr. Hashimoto is fluent in English, Japanese and Finnish. When he is not treating patients, he enjoys reading books, exercising and road cycling.
