A Passion for Rhythms
Dr. Charles Machell has a passion for rhythms – heart rhythms – and especially for bringing them back in synch. His subspecialty of electrophysiology gives him a symphony of instruments, from medication therapy to device therapy to catheter ablation, that allow him to orchestrate treatment for patients suffering from abnormal heart rhythms. The goal is to give the patient a significant upbeat in his or her quality of life.

Catheter Ablation and Other Treatments
Dr. Machell has seen tremendous advances in the treatment of abnormal heart rhythms. The most exciting development has been in catheter ablation, a one to two-hour procedure that first maps the electrical pathways of the heart. Dr. Machell then uses that information to correct the heart tissue and redirect the electrical impulse to produce a normal rhythm. “In electrophysiology, the very attractive part is that we can do procedures that cure people.”

Not all patients with abnormal heart rhythms can be treated with catheter ablation. For them implanted devices, such as pacemakers and defibrillators, are often necessary. Pacemakers assist those with slow heart rates, while defibrillators are common for patients who have suffered a previous cardiac arrest. Just as paddles are applied to the outside of the chest during a cardiac arrest to deliver an electrical shock meant to restore the beating of the stopped heart, implanted defibrillators detect when a patient’s heart has stopped and deliver an immediate electrical shock.

Electrophysiology Experience
In private practice since 1986 and board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular diseases and electrophysiology, Dr. Machell investigated new types of pacemakers and helped evaluate catheter ablation. He has numerous publications on a variety of electrophysiology topics.