Baby girl to head home after life-saving operations at Nicklaus Children's Hospital

Teegan Lexcen born with 1 lung Aug. 20, 2015

MIAMI – A baby girl will soon be heading home with her parents and twin sister after she underwent a life-saving surgery at Nicklaus Children's Hospital.

Doctors said Teegan Lexcen, who was born Aug. 20, 2015, with only one lung, was once deemed inoperable, but her parents decided to get a second opinion at the South Florida hospital.

Teegan had various heart defects, including hypoplastic left heart, hypoplastic aortic arch, double outlet right ventricle and mitral atresia, among others.

Teegan was deemed inoperable by doctors in her hometown of Chaska, Minnesota, and was sent home to spend the time she had left with her parents and twin sister.

But Teegan's parents, Cassidy and Chad Lexcen, were determined to find a solution for their beloved daughter, so they contacted The Heart Program at Nicklaus Children's Hospital for a second opinion.

Within days of arriving, Dr. Redmond Burke, director of cardiovascular surgery at the hospital, performed surgery on Teegan, which saved her life.

Doctors said Teegan's heart and lung became strong enough to function on their own within weeks of her first surgery. She recently underwent a second surgery and will soon be released from the hospital and will be heading back to Minnesota.

 


About the Author:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.