Robert J. Sommer, MD

Robert J. Sommer, MD, is an accomplished medical professional and Associate Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He currently serves as the Director of Invasive Adult Congenital Heart Disease at Columbia's Interventional Cardiovascular Care program, based in Columbia University Irving Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian.

Dr. Sommer's expertise lies in the areas of pediatric cardiology, adult congenital heart disease, and interventional cardiology. He is Board-certified in both Pediatric and Adult Congenital Heart Disease. He completed his training in pediatrics and pediatric cardiology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City and Boston Children's Hospital in Boston.  

CLINICAL WORK
In 1991, Dr. Sommer made significant contributions to the field by establishing the first comprehensive pediatric interventional catheterization laboratory in New York City. In 1999, he launched his own practice and redirected his focus towards the growing population of adult patients with congenital heart disease. Dr. Sommer's joined the faculty at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in 2005.

Dr. Sommer has expertise in a diverse range of congenital and structural heart interventions. Dr. Sommer directs the Left Atrial Appendage Closure Team at Columbia, having participated in the PREVAIL Trial, the CAP2 registry, and the CHAMPION-AF Trials using the Watchman Device, as well as the Amulet Device Pivotal and Conformal Device Feasibility Trial.  In addition to diagnostic catheterizations in complex congenital heart disease, he performs over 200 atrial septal defect and patent foramen ovale (PFO) closures and over 100 left atrial appendage closures annually. He has decades of experience in closing patent ductus arteriosus and ventricular septal defects, as well as, stenting coarctation of the aorta.  

Currently, Dr. Sommer serves as the national cardiology principal investigator for the GORE RELIEF clinical study to evaluate patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure for migraine headache relief using a device called the GORE CARDIOFORM Septal Occlude.

Dr. Sommer collaborates closely with his Pediatric Cardiology colleagues at Columbia performing transcatheter pulmonary valve replacements in the congenital population.  

Together, with Barbara Robbins, NP, he provides primary cardiac care to a population of more than 300 pediatric and adult patients with congenital heart disease. Jointly, they manage more than 1500 office visits annually.