Melana_Yuzefpolskaya

Dr. Melana Yuzefpolskaya MD

Colombia

I have received my medical degree from New York University School of Medicine, where I also completed my training in Internal Medicine. I then specialized in Cardiovascular Diseases at St. Luke's/Roosevelt Medical Center, and came to Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) in 2010 as a fellow in Advanced Heart Failure. I have been an Associate Professor of Medicine since 2020 and Faculty at the Center for Advanced Cardiac Care (CACC) since 2011.

During the early stages of my career, I became fascinated with the field of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) and developed an interest in clinical research pertaining to the long-term care of this unique patient population. Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy has revolutionized the treatment of patients with advanced heart failure (HF). However, adverse events, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, stroke, infection and right ventricular failure, remain a rate-limiting step, hindering broader and/or earlier stage application of this technology. I was able to build a career with the focus on clinical research and define diagnosis and treatment of these complications. My first lead author publication was in 2013 uncovering a life-threatening mechanical problem (the outflow graft bend relief disconnection) that was associated with older generation LVADs. This was followed by a publication proposing the first advanced cardiovascular life support algorithm for the management of the hospitalized unresponsive LVAD patient.

Since 2014 I have been serving as the Associate Director of MCS Program at CUIMC. The MCS/LVAD program at Columbia University is one of the largest programs in the country and a leader in research and clinical care. Recently, Columbia led enrollment in the landmark MOMENTUM 3 trial in over 1,000 patients – the largest randomized trial in the history of MCS– that led to FDA approval of the HeartMate 3™ LVAD as a destination therapy for patients with advanced HF. In March 2019, I have co-authored The New England Journal of Medicine manuscript that presented the final results of this seminal study.

Over the past five years, I continued to pursue my interest in the unique physiology of continuous flow MCS as well as in LVAD-related complications. Gastrointestinal bleeding is one of the most common of these complications, accounting for multiple hospitalizations and repeated endoscopic procedures. Together with our collaborators in the department of gastroenterology, we have proposed the first endoscopic algorithm to guide care in LVAD patients presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding. This publication was followed-up by a validation study the following year. Similarly, I have contributed to the first proposed algorithms for stroke and blood pressure management in the field. hard work, I have co-authored >130 manuscripts in the field of advanced heart failure.


Appearances