Patient story: Minnesota’s first pediatric heart stent is the result of early referrals and collaboration |
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Early referrals and collaborations across multidisciplinary teams and multiple health systems led to the first pediatric heart stent in Minnesota history — and helped ensure a promising start for baby Lucy of Duluth. During a routine 20-week fetal anatomy scan, Taylor Swanson, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist with Aspirus St. Luke’s, noticed a difference between Lucy’s left and right ventricles and referred her to Essentia Health for a fetal echocardiogram. At the echo, Kelly Aarsvold, MD, pediatric cardiologist at Essentia, suspected corotation of the aorta, along with a bicuspid aortic valve.
Lucy’s mother was referred to Midwest Fetal Care Center (MWFCC), a collaboration between Allina Health and Children’s Minnesota, where additional scans and tests confirmed the assessment. When Lucy was born at The Mother Baby Center in Minneapolis, another partnership between Allina Health and Children’s Minnesota, at 39 weeks in October 2024, she was taken to Children’s Minnesota’s Level IV neonatal intensive care unit for evaluation and then to the cardiovascular intensive care unit. There, the medical team confirmed coarctation of the aorta, hypoplastic aortic arch and a unicuspid aortic valve.
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At just 5 days old, Lucy underwent open-heart surgery to correct the coarctation and fix her aortic arch. At 2 weeks old, she underwent a balloon valvuloplasty performed by Marko Vezmar, MD, medical director of interventional cardiology at Children’s Minnesota.
In June 2025, Lucy’s aorta began to narrow again. Doctors believed Lucy was a strong candidate for the Minima heart stent from Renata Medical, the first heart stent specifically for babies approved by the Food and Drug Administration. A few weeks later, Lucy became the first baby in Minnesota to receive the Minima stent, and the procedure was a success.
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“Lucy’s story is one example of what’s possible when we collaborate across disciplines and health systems,” Dr. Vezmar said. “From diagnosis to delivery and treatment, our coordinated efforts across various specialties ensured that Lucy and her family received comprehensive and compassionate care, leading to a good outcome.”
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Read the full story here.
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Region’s first pediatric neurointerventional angiography suite for stroke patients opens
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Children’s Minnesota has opened a biplane neuroangiography suite for stroke patients, the region’s only facility dedicated to pediatric neuro-interventional procedures. The $2.5-million facility produces three-dimensional images of blood vessels in and around the brain, allowing the team of kid experts at Children’s Minnesota to diagnose and treat pediatric stroke, aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, brain tumors and other intracranial pathologies, with unmatched precision.
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“By becoming the regional referral program for complex pediatric cerebrovascular and stroke cases, we are ensuring no child has to travel farther than they should to get world-class care,” said Meysam Kebriaei, MD, medical director of neurosciences at Children’s Minnesota.
Pediatric neurointerventional surgery is a young, evolving field, so care often is delivered at adult centers with patients transferred back and forth from pediatric hospitals, explained Collin Torok, MD, medical director of neurointerventional surgery at Children’s Minnesota, and co-director of the cerebrovascular program with Dr. Kebriaei. “Very few children’s hospitals can offer this level of care with an on-site, dedicated neurovascular biplane angiography suite,” said Dr. Torok.
In addition to the new suite, the Children’s Minnesota cerebrovascular program is participating in international research collaborations, such as the International Pediatric Stroke Study (IPSS), which advance treatments of cerebrovascular disease. “We plan on being an international leader in the field of pediatric neurointerventional surgery/cerebrovascular neurosurgery, right here in Minneapolis-St. Paul,” said Dr. Torok. “The sky’s the limit for the impact that we can have, which is very exciting for our entire team.”
To refer a patient, please contact Children’s Minnesota Physician Access at 866-755-2121.
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Becker’s Hospital Review recognizes cardiovascular program at Children’s Minnesota |
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Becker’s Hospital Review recognized the Children’s Minnesota pediatric cardiovascular program as one of the 100 hospitals and health systems with great heart programs in 2025. The programs on this list are renowned for their exceptional cardiovascular care, strong patient outcomes and use of life-saving technologies.
The Children’s Minnesota cardiovascular program provides comprehensive pediatric cardiovascular services — from routine care to advanced cardiac surgeries, from before birth and into adulthood. The program offers a wide range of specializations and services including:
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A fetal cardiology program to diagnose heart defects as early as 14 weeks gestation. A reliable in-utero diagnosis allows the care team to create a personalized treatment and delivery plan.
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A pediatric heart failure and heart transplant program certified through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- State-of-the-art advanced pediatric cardiac imaging which includes cardiac CT scanning, cardiac MRI, and transthoracic echocardiography.
- The only dedicated pediatric electrophysiology lab in the upper Midwest.
- A pediatric cardiac catheterization laboratory designed specifically for the needs of children with congenital heart disease.
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A single ventricle home monitoring program that allows babies born with a single ventricle defect to be discharged after their first surgery. The family is sent home with equipment including a baby scale, pulse oximeter and iPad to enter information that the care team can see in real-time — meaning the baby is under expert care from the comfort of the family’s home.
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Project ADAM Minnesota, a program that partners with and trains schools on how to respond effectively in the event of cardiac emergencies.
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Read more about the cardiovascular program here.
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New and updated clinical practice guidelines now available for health professionals |
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Recently revised guidelines include:
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In addition, the following new guidelines are now available as of this quarter:
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In all, the Children’s Minnesota library offers free access to more than 85 clinical practice guidelines for health care providers in a wide range of pediatric specialties. The clinical guidelines are designed for general use with most patients. Each clinician should use their own independent judgment to meet the needs of each individual patient. Guidelines are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Read more about our clinical practice guidelines for health care professionals here.
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