Structural Heart Disease 1
Tracks
Rongomātāne Room A
| Thursday, June 11, 2026 |
| 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM |
| Rongomātāne Room A |
Speaker
Dr Jason Sharp
Director, Cardiac Catheter Labs
Sydney Adventist Hospital
PFO and LAA Closure in 2026
1:30 PM - 2:00 PMBiography
Dr Sharp is director of the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratories at Sydney Adventist Hospital. He is a principal of Specialist Cardiology. He is a clinical senior lecturer with Australian National University (ANU). He is an interventional and structural cardiologist with extensive experience in left atrial appendage occlusion, transcatheter aortic valve implantation, mitral and tricuspid valve edge-to-edge repair, atrial septal defect closure and patent foramen ovale closure.
Dr Sharp has particular interests in complex coronary intervention including coronary angiography, angioplasty and stenting as well as Rotablator rotational atherectomy. He performs pacemaker interrogation and follow-up including home remote pacemaker monitoring as well as implantation of cardiac loop recorders. He performs cardiac ultrasound including transoesophageal and resting and stress transthoracic echocardiography.
He actively participates in the Open Heart International volunteer outreach program to Myanmar (Burma) and Papua New Guinea helping to train local cardiologists in diagnostic and interventional cardiology techniques. He hosts visiting overseas and local cardiologists in the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory at Sydney Adventist Hospital to provide them with practical training and is co-director of the LAAO Centre of Excellence program. He is a proctor for left atrial appendage closure techniques and transcatheter aortic valve implantation.
Dr Philipp Nikolai
Robert Bosch Hospital
TEER – State of the Art
2:00 PM - 2:30 PMBiography
Dr Philipp Nikolai is a senior cardiologist at Robert Bosch Hospital in Stuttgart, where he has led interventional AV-valve therapies since 2014 and serves as a key member of the multidisciplinary Heart team.
He began his medical career at the University Hospital Mainz in 2005, completing his residency in Cardiology. He has earned consultant certifications in Internal Medicine, Aviation Medicine, and Cardiology, before moving into his senior cardiologist role in Stuttgart.
With extensive clinical, interventional, and research experience, Dr Nikolai is recognised for his expertise in complex valvular therapies and imaging-guided structural heart interventions.
Mr Karsten Veien
Cardiologist
Auckland City Hospital
TEER in NZ
2:30 PM - 2:45 PMBiography
Dr Veien is a Senior Cardiologist at Auckland City Hospital and specialises in minimally invasive treatments for heart disease, including complex coronary procedures and catheter-based valve therapies. He has a particular interest in advanced treatments for mitral and tricuspid valve disease and is actively involved in introducing and refining new techniques in this field.
All Speakers
Q&A / Discussion
2:45 PM - 3:00 PMBiography
Phillip Matsis
Chair
Biography
Dr Alexander Sasse
Cardiologist
Wellington Hospital
Chair
Biography