Clinicn Investigator, Assc Prf Cardiology, Mass General Research Institute

Associate Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School

Associate Physician Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital

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.