Dr. Shabana Shahanavaz, director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, recently discussed the groundbreaking Renata Minima heart stent in an NBC News feature. Shahanavaz played a key role in a multicenter feasibility study that contributed to the stent’s approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2024.
The Minima stent is designed for infants with congenital heart defects, particularly those with narrowed pulmonary arteries or aortic vessels that hinder blood flow. Previously, adult stents had to be adapted for infants, requiring frequent replacements as children grew.
Unlike traditional methods, the Minima stent offers a minimally invasive solution that can expand as the child grows, reducing the need for multiple surgeries. Cincinnati Children’s became the second institution to implant the stent during the feasibility study in March 2022.
Dr. Shahanavaz, an interventional cardiologist with 15 years of experience, expressed excitement over the stent’s potential.
“We’ve never had a device specifically designed to be safe for babies,” she said. “This technology can be expanded to an adult size once placed in an infant. It’s remarkable that we didn’t have this before.”
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