Waikato Cardiothoracic Unit

🚨 🇳🇿 Day 3 Recap for the 2026 Annual Cardiothoracic Surgery Meeting of Aotearoa New Zealand 🇳🇿 🚨

Our conference finished strong with advancements & challenges in perioperative care. First off was a review of outcomes after implementing endoscopic vein (and now radial artery) harvest for CABG. Our own Jacque Roberts, Georgia Miller, and Kelsey Abercrombie.

Dr Graeme Porter from Tauranga hospital and Health New Zealand - Bay of Plenty cardiology highlighted challenges for patients from rural areas and their clinicians preparing for surgery.

Dr Daniel Garofalo shared experiences with Pacific Islands Pacemaker Services and how we can help our neighbours in nearby countries.

The legendary Dr Ianthe Boden brought home concepts in postoperative physiotherapy.

Finally we were again fortunate to hear from Robert Groom about high fidelity simulation in resource challenged areas. A wonderfully diverse group of speakers from various disciplines, sharing their inspiring work.

Huge thanks for all attendees, sponsors, speakers for an excellent conference. It was so great to see progressive conversation, collaboration, and motivation to deliver excellent care to our patients!

None of this could be possible without the vision from Obex Medical and the expertise of Sarah Jonson!

See you for the 2027 meeting in Christchurch! Waikato out 🎤

🚨 🇳🇿 Day 2 Recap of the Annual Cardiothoracic Surgery Meeting of Aotearoa New Zealand 🇳🇿 🚨

It was great to start off with a talk on patient & cultural perspectives to better integrate personalised care plans. We were fortunate to have Dr Anna Rolleston lend us her time & research to share ways we can improve our care delivery.

We were then challenged to Think Aorta by Alfred Health’s vascular medicine specialist Dr Geoff Lester. A story of resilience, tremendous accomplishment, and ongoing drive to improve the role of patient voices & awareness to a complex and serious disease. He later shared the mission of hearts4heart.

Afterwards we took to the skies to learn about opportunities to integrate improved team culture and safety from experts in the aerospace industry. ✈️

Air New Zealand Captain Nathan Johnston was joined by Dr Marcus Lee to discuss implementing strategies for safety in high stakes environments.

Marina Kunz then shared her work on designing systems for just culture & high reliability. Both talks had innumerable applications to health care.

Professor Martin Stiles & Dr John Doty reviewed the role of arrhythmia teams & atrial fibrillation ablation encouraging us to help patients get their rhythms sorted.

Finally we were fortunate to have presidents from The Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand and ANZSCTS share the history and future of their societies- be sure to join & help progress care in our regions. Thanks to Dr. Mayanna Lund and Dr. Ashutosh Hardikar!

We wrapped up an engaging day Trinity Wharf Tauranga with a delegate dinner Classic Flyers Conference & Events Centre.

He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata

Stay tuned as we come in for landing on day 3!





Intermountain Health
Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora
Health NZ - Waikato
University of Auckland - Waipapa Taumata Rau

🚨 🇳🇿 Day 1 Recap of the 2026 Annual Cardiothoracic Surgery Meeting of Aotearoa New Zealand 🇳🇿 🚨 held in Tauranga at Trinity Wharf Tauranga .

A full line up of our international experts was a great way to kick off this year’s programme! 🇯🇵 🇦🇺 🇺🇸 🇰🇪

Day 1 took off with abstract presentations and launched straight in to Thoracic Innovations. Dr’s Andrew Maloney from Wellstar Health System and Damien Boyd from St Vincent's Health Australia discussed topics on palliative medicine for heart teams and post operative pain management.

Dr. Ianthe Boden from University of Tasmania and Launceston Hospital shared her groundbreaking work in physiotherapy and new trial data looking at reducing postoperative complications.

Our other international speakers rounded out the afternoon to share their world-class care delivery on complex heart failure and minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

We were privileged to have Dr. Stephen McKellar & John Doty from Intermountain Health in Utah and Dr. Soh Hosoba from Nagoya present their cutting edge work. Robert Groom from AGC Tenwek Cardiothoracic Centre discussed shock team development to finish the early afternoon sessions.

Johnson & Johnson sponsored a VATS simulation skills lab- hosted by our own Dr. Felicity Meikle.

Stay tuned for the Day 2 recap!

Last week marked another exciting milestone for our cardiac surgery team

After successfully performing Endoscopic Vein Harvest for the past two years (a keyhole way of taking vein from the leg for heart bypass surgery) our RNFSA team have now expanded this approach to the radial artery from the forearm.

In some bypass operations, an artery from the arm is used to improve blood flow to the heart. With this keyhole technique, the artery can be removed through much smaller incisions.

We were fortunate enough to have Reggie Arcilla an experienced Physician Assistant from the United States join us last week to provide guidance as we introduced this technique safely and carefully.

We are incredibly proud to be the first centre in New Zealand to perform endoscopic radial harvest, continuing our commitment towards better recovery for our patients

March 1st is World Pulse Day 🫀do you know your pulse?

When was the last time you checked it?
Abnormal heart rhythms are more common than many people realise and a simple pulse check can help pick up early warning signs. Keeping your rhythm sorted with your GP or specialist can help prevent symptoms, heart failure and stroke.

Proud to support awareness alongside Heart Foundation NZ, Arrythmia Alliance, Pulse Day 2026 and the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society.

💡 Know your pulse. If something doesn’t feel right, book in with your GP.
Small checks can make a big difference

Last week our RNFSA Nurse Specialists were featured on Radio New Zealand talking about the nurse led Endoscopic Vein Harvesting service at Waikato Hospital

This keyhole technique is changing recovery for patients having Coronary Bypass surgery by reducing leg scars, pain and healing time.

A big thank you to our nursing, surgical and theatre teams that support this, and to RNZ for highlighting the work we do

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/581356/new-technique-at-waikato-hospital-leaves-heart-bypass-patients-with-fewer-scars from RNZ.

New technique at Waikato Hospital leaves heart bypass patients with fewer scars The traditional way of harvesting a vein to use in the surgery involves a long cut down the leg.

A big afternoon for Education Friday in the Waikato CTS Unit!

Our registrars began with a session on penetrating chest trauma, guided by one of our consultants who shared experience from high volume US trauma centres - covering best practice for managing firearm injuries to the heart and lungs.

Our RNFSA nurse specialists then updated the team on the unit’s progress with Endoscopic Vein Harvesting (EVH) including what they assess pre-op, key intra-op steps, and the post-op outcomes we’re seeing.

We wrapped up with an excellent Aortic Root Wetlab facilitated by Edwards Lifesciences, where the team revised anatomy, dissected and prepared the root, and practised the Konnect graft with support from our cardiothoracic surgeons.

When a team learns together, excellence becomes a shared outcome

What a great morning in Kirikiriroa! 🌉🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Some of our Waikato Cardiothoracic Surgery crew laced up their shoes for the annual Round the Bridges event over the weekend.

It was awesome to be out in the community we serve, supporting local health, wellbeing and a bit of friendly team competition!

A huge well done to everyone who took part, cheered from the sidelines, or encouraged their colleagues to give it a go.

Here’s to a fitter, stronger Waikato… both inside and outside the hospital walls. ❤️🫀

What an incredible morning our Clinical Nurse Specialist, Georgia Miller, had at Fairfield Intermediate School with their Science Enrichment class.

Georgia spent time sharing what a ‘day in the life’ of a cardiac RNFSA looks like, from heart anatomy to the advanced technology and team work that makes heart surgery possible.

Students got a close up look into heart valve implants, surgical instruments and 3D printed sternums- learning how the breastbone is closed after surgery. It’s always inspiring to see young minds so curious about the science behind heart health and surgery.

Thanks for inviting us to be a part of your science program. Future nurses and surgeons in the making 🧑‍⚕️ 👩🏽‍⚕️ 👨🏽‍⚕️