Physician Investigator (Cl) Cardiovascular Research Center, Mass General Research Institute

Associate Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School

MD University of Athens School of Medicine 1989

atrioventricular block; cardiac pacing, artificial; cardiac resynchronization therapy; catheter ablation; defibrillators, implantable; equipment failure; heart ventricles; pacemaker, artificial; tachycardia, ventricular

Dr. Melfa is a Staff Cardiac Electrophysiologist and the Director of Pacemaker and ICD Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is the Principal Investigator of the following trials:

Block HF Clinical Trial. This is a multicenter study to test the hypothesis that patients with mild to moderate symptoms of heart failure, NYHA Class I, II, and III, some degree of left ventricular dysfunction (LVEF < 50%) and AV block will benefit from biventricular pacing compared to right ventricular pacing, as evidenced by a slowing in the progression of heart failure in patients receiving biventricular pacing. This benefit will be demonstrated using a composite endpoint of mortality, morbidity and cardiac function.

VEST. This is a multicenter NIH funded study looking into reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death in post-MI patients who have a reduced LVEF < 35%. These patients will be randomized to receive a LifeVest external defibrillator as opposed to medical therapy.