Pulmonary Artery Reconstruction Patient Stories

Successful patient stories

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health is driven to provide every patient with exceptional care that transforms lives. Below are a few of our many successful patient stories, telling of brave parents, resilient children, and our experts who helped them achieve great outcomes.

Hayden

At 15 weeks into her pregnancy, Kelli Stevens received the news that her baby had a serious congenital heart condition: tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia and MAPCAs (extra arteries). To survive, he required unifocalization reconstruction soon after birth, with a complete heart repair a few months later. Today, Hayden is a happy, healthy toddler. “His quality and length of life are both markedly improved, and his blood flow is similar to yours and mine,” says Frank Hanley, MD, chief of pediatric cardiac surgery.

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Nicholas

Nicholas DeHart was born without a pulmonary artery, yet after pulmonary artery reconstruction at Stanford Children’s, he runs the fastest mile in his class. Surgeons used MAPCAs to build him a pulmonary artery. “Surgery that is done early in life is unique here, and the outcomes are uniquely outstanding,” says Doff McElhinney, MD, medical director of the Pulmonary Artery Reconstruction Program.

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Santana

Santana Renchie took on life as if she knew—at the tender age of 2—that she was lucky to be alive. She’s sassy, full of joy, and determined not to miss a single moment of fun. That wasn’t the case until she received a lifesaving, novel surgical procedure at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, one that has never been performed elsewhere in the world. It combines a pulmonary artery reconstruction surgery with a heart transplant.

Learn more about Santana