Consultant Physician in Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology
Dr Melanie Freeman is a General and Interventional Cardiologist with a particular interest in the diagnosis and management of chest pain, coronary artery disease, risk factor modification and valvular heart disease.
Dr Freeman performs coronary angiography and interventions including angioplasty and stenting at both public and private hospitals around the eastern suburbs. Dr Freeman currently holds a staff appointment at Eastern Health, Box Hill Hospital, and she is an adjunct senior lecturer within the Eastern Health Clinical School. Dr Freeman has a particular interest in research and is also employed as a Medical Advisor to Ambulance Victoria.
Dr Freeman obtained her medical degree from Monash University in 1999 and became a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Physicians in 2008, having completed her specialist training in Cardiology at the Austin Hospital. Dr Freeman was accepted into the highly competitive 2-year Interventional Fellowship at St Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. During her Fellowship, Dr Freeman trained with Dr John Webb, a world-renowned leader in transcatheter valve therapies, angiography and coronary interventions.
Dr Melanie Freeman has tailored her practice towards her specialty of interventional cardiology services and oversees the interventional cardiology dimension of Bond Cardiology. Her private practice is largely based in Ringwood with rooms also in Rowville, and has admitting rights at Epworth Eastern and Knox Private Hospitals.
Biswas S, Duffy SJ, Lefkovits J, Andrianopoulos N, Brennan A, Walton A, Chan W, Noaman S, Shaw JA, Dawson L, Ajani A, Clark DJ, Freeman M, Hiew C, Oqueli E, Reid CM, Stub D. Australian Trends in Procedural Characteristics and Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction. Am J Cardiol. 2018 Feb ;121(3):279-288.doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2017.10.025. Epub 2017 Oct 31.
Yudi MB, Hamilton G, Farouque O, Andrianopoulos N, Duffy SJ, Lefkovits J, Brennan A, Fernando D, Hiew C, Freeman M, Reid CM, Dakis R, Ajani AE, Clark DJ. Trends and Impact of Door-to-Balloon Time on Clinical Outcomes in Patients Aged <75, 75 to 84, and ≥85 Years With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction. Am J Cardiol. 2017 Oct 15;120(8):1245-1253. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2017.07.005. Epub 2017 Jul 28.
Papapostolou S, Andrianopoulos N, Duffy SJ, Brennan AL, Ajani AE, Clark DJ, Reid CM, Freeman M, Sebastian M, Selkrig L, Yudi MB, Noaman SQ, Chan W. Long-term Clinical Outcomes of Transient and Persistent No-Reflow Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI): A Multi-Center Australian Registry. EuroIntervention. 2017 Oct 3. pii: EIJ-D-17-00269. doi: 10.4244/EIJ-D-17-00269. [Epub ahead of print]
Yeoh J, Yudi MB, Andrianopoulos N, Yan BP, Clark DJ, Duffy SJ, Brennan A, New G, Freeman M, Eccleston D, Sebastian M, Reid CM, Wilson W, Ajani AE; Melbourne Interventional Group. Evolution of Australian Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (from the Melbourne Interventional Group [MIG] Registry). Am J Cardiol. 2017 Jul 1;120(1):47-54. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2017.03.258. Epub 2017 Apr 12.
Yudi MB, Ajani AE, Andrianopoulos N, Duffy SJ, Farouque O, Ramchand J, Gurvitch R, Lefkovits J, Freeman M, Brennan A, Clark DJ, Reid C, Eccleston D. Early versus delayed percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes. Coron Artery Dis. 2016 Aug; 27(5): 344-9
Mok M, Allende R, Leipsic J, Altisent OA, Del Trigo M, Campelo-Parada F, DeLarochellière R, Dumont E, Doyle D, Côté M, Freeman M, Webb J, Rodés-Cabau J. Prognostic Value of Fat Mass and Skeletal Muscle Mass Determined by Computed Tomography in Patients Who Underwent Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation. Am J Cardiol. 2016 Mar 1; 117(5):828-33
Yudi MB, Ramchand J, Farouque O, Andrianopoulos N, Chan W, Duffy SJ, Lefkovits J, Brennan A, Spencer R, Fernando D, Hiew C, Freeman M, Reid CM, Ajani AE, Clark DJ. Impact of door-to-balloon time on long-term mortality in high- and low-risk patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Int J Cardiol. 2016 Dec 1; 224:72-78.
Lancefield TF, Patel SK, Freeman M, Velkoska E, Wai B, Srivastava PM, Horrigan M, Farouque O, Burrell LM. The Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE) Is Associated with Persistent Atrial Fibrillation. PLoS One. 2016 Sep 14;11(9):e0161715.
Barbanti M, Binder RK, Dvir D, Tan J, Freeman M, Thompson CR, Cheung A, Wood DA, Leipsic J, Webb JG. Prevalence and impact of preoperative moderate/severe tricuspid regurgitation on patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2015 Mar;85(4):677-84.
Al-Fiadh AH, Wong TY, Kawasaki R, Clark DJ, Patel SK, Freeman M, Wilson A, Burrell LM, Farouque O. Usefulness of retinal microvascular endothelial dysfunction as a predictor of coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol. 2015 Mar 1;115(5):609-13.
Al-Fiadh AH, Farouque O, Kawasaki R, Nguyen TT, Uddin N, Freeman M, Patel SK, Burrell LM, Wong TY. Retinal microvascular structure and function in patients with risk factors of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Atherosclerosis. 2014 Apr; 233(2):478-84.
Sugumar H, Lancefield TF, Andrianopoulos N, Duffy SJ, Ajani AE, Freeman M, Buxton B, Brennan AL, Yan BP, Dinh DT, Smith JA, Charter K, Farouque O, Reid CM, Clark DJ; Australia and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) & Melbourne Interventional Group (MIG). Impact of renal function in patients with multi-vessel coronary disease on long-term mortality following coronary artery bypass grafting compared with percutaneous coronary intervention. Int J Cardiol. 2014 Mar 15;172(2):442-9.
Patel SK, Velkoska E, Freeman M, Wai B, Lancefield TF, Burrell LM. From gene to protein-experimental and clinical studies of ACE2 in blood pressure control and arterial hypertension. Front Physiol. 2014 Jun 24; 5:227.
Freeman M, Barbanti M, Wood DA, Ye J, Webb JG. Cerebral events and protection during transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2014 Nov 15; 84(6):885-96.
Binder RK, Barbanti M, Ye J, Toggweiler S, Tan J, Freeman M, Cheung A, Wood DA, Webb JG. Blood loss and transfusion rates associated with transcatheter aortic valve replacement: Recommendations for patients who refuse blood transfusion. Catheterization and cardiovascular Interventions, 2014 Jan 9, epub ahead of print.
Barbanti M, Leipsic J, Binder R, Dvir D, Tan J, Freeman M, Norgaard B, Hansson N, Cheung A, Ye J, Yang TH, Maryniak K, Raju R, Thompson A, Blanke P, Lauck S, Wood D, Webb J. Underexpansion and Ad Hoc Post-dilation in Selected Patients Undergoing Balloon-Expandable Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement. JACC, 2013 Oct 22. Epub ahead of print.
Freeman M, Webb JG, Willson AB, Wheeler M, Blanke P, Moss RR, Thompson CR, Munt B, Norgaard BL, Yang TH, Min JK, Poulsen S, Hansson NC, Binder RK, Toggweiler S, Hague C, Wood DA, Pibarot P, Leipsic J. Multidetector CT predictors of prosthesis-patient mismatch in transcatheter aortic valve replacement. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr 2013 Jul-Aug; 7(4): 248-55.
Barbanti M, Binder RK, Freeman M, Wood DA, Leipsic J, Cheung A, Ye J, Tan J, Toggweiler S, Yang TH, Dvir D, Maryniak K, Lauck S, Webb JG. Impact of low-profile sheaths on vascular complications during transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement. EuroIntervention. 2013 Dec 23; 9(8): 929-35.
Toggweiler S, Leipsic J, Binder RK, Freeman M, Barbanti M, Heijmen RH, Wood DA, Webb JG. Management of vascular access in transcatheter aortic valve replacement: part 2: Vascular complications. JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2013 Aug; 6(8):767-76.
Toggweiler S, Leipsic J, Binder RK, Freeman M, Barbanti M, Heijmen RH, Wood DA, Webb JG. Management of vascular access in transcatheter aortic valve replacement: part 1: basic anatomy, imaging, sheaths, wires, and access routes. JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2013 Jul; 6(7):643-53.
Le Ven F, Freeman M, Webb J, Clavel MA, Wheeler M, Dumont E, Thompson C, De Larochellière R, Moss R, Doyle D, Ribeiro HB, Alcazar MU, Nombela-Franco L, Rodés-Cabau J, Pibarot P. Impact of Low Flow on the Outcome of High Risk Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement. JACC 2013 Jun 12. Epub ahead of print.
Barbanti M, Yang TH, Rodés-Cabau J, Tamburino C, Wood DA, Jilaihawi H, Blanke P, Makkar RR, Latib A, Colombo A, Tarantini G, Raju R, Binder RK, Nguyen G, Freeman M, Ribeiro HB, Kapadia S, Min J, Feuchtner G, Gurtvich R, Alqoofi F, Pelletier M, Ussia GP, Napodano M, de Brito FS Jr, Kodali S, Norgaard BL, Hansson NC, Pache G, Canovas SJ, Zhang H, Leon MB, Webb JG, Leipsic J. Anatomical and Procedural Features Associated with Aortic Root Rupture During Balloon-Expandable Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement. Circulation. 2013 Jun 7. Epub ahead of print.
Binder RK, Webb JG, Willson AB, Urena M, Hansson NC, Norgaard BL, Pibarot P, Barbanti M, Larose E, Freeman M, Dumont E, Thompson C, Wheeler M, Moss RR, Yang TH, Pasian S, Hague C, Nguyen G, Raju R, Toggweiler S, Min JK, Wood DA, Rodés-Cabau J, Leipsic J. The Impact of Integration of a Multidetector Computed Tomography Annulus Area Sizing Algorithm on Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Prospective, Multicenter, Controlled Trial. JACC 2013 May 15. Epub ahead of print.
Binder RK, Webb JG, Toggweiler S, Freeman M, Barbanti M, Willson AB, Alhassan D, Hague C, Wood DA, Leipsic J. The Impact of Post-implant SAPIEN XT Geometry and Position on Conduction Disturbances, Hemodynamic Performance and Paravalvular Regurgitation. In press, JACC Cardiovasc Interv 2013.
Binder RK, Schäfer U, Kuck K, Wood DA, Moss RR, Leipsic J, Toggweiler S, Freeman M, Ostry AJ, Frerker C, Willson AB, Webb JG. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement with a New Self-expanding Transcatheter Heart Valve and Motorized Delivery System. JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2013 Mar;6(3):301-7.
Cheung A, Webb JG, Barbanti M, Freeman M, Binder RK, Thompson C, Wood D, Ye J. Five-Year Experience with Transcatheter Transapical Mitral Valve-in-Valve Implantation for Bioprosthetic Valve Dysfunction. J Am Coll Cardiol 2013 Apr 30; 61(17):1759-66.
Urena M, Freixa X, Saw J, Webb JG, Freeman M, Horlick E, Osten M, Chan A, Marquis JF, Champagne J, Ibrahim R, Rodes-Cabau J. Late Outcomes Following Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure with the Amplatzer Cardiac Plug Device in Patients with Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation and Contraindications for Anticoagulation Therapy. In press, J Am Coll Cardiol, 2013.
Binder RK, Rodés-Cabau J, Wood DA, Mok M, Leipsic J, De Larochellière R, Toggweiler S, Dumont E, Freeman M, Willson AB, Webb JG. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement with SAPIEN 3: A New Balloon Expandable Transcatheter Heart Valve. JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2013 Mar;6(3):293-300.
Freeman M, Webb JG. Edwards SAPIEN and Edwards SAPIEN XT transcatheter heart valves for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis. Expert Rev Med Devices. 2012 Nov; 9(6): 563-9.
Toggweiler S, Humphries K, Lee M, Binder RK, Moss R, Freeman M, Ye J, Cheung A, Wood DA, Webb JG. Five-year outcome after transcatheter aortic valve implantation. In press, J Am Coll Cardiol, 2013 Jan 29; 61(4): 413-9.
Willson AB, Webb JG, Freeman M, Wood DA, Gurvitch R, Thompson CR, Moss RR, Toggweiler S, Binder RK, Munt B, Cheung A, Hague C, Ye J, Leipsic JA. Computed tomography-based sizing recommendations for transcatheter aortic valve replacement with balloon-expandable valves: Comparison with transesophageal echocardiography and rationale for implementation in a prospective trial. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr. 2012 Nov; 6 (6): 406-14.
Humphries KH, Toggweiler S, Rodés-Cabau J, Nombela-Franco L, Dumont E, Wood DA, Willson AB, Binder RK, Freeman M, Lee MK, Gao M, Izadnegahdar M, Ye J, Cheung A, Webb JG. Sex differences in mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012 Sep 4; 60(10): 882-6.
Freeman M, Rodés-Cabau J, Urena M, Delarochelliere R, Dumont E, Masson JB, Willson AB, Binder RK, Toggweiler S, Leipsic J, Wood DA, Webb JG. First-in-man Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement with the 29mm Edwards Sapien XT Valve. Catheterization and cardiovascular Interventions, 2012 Jun 28. (epub ahead of print).
Willson AB, Rodès-Cabau J, Wood DA, Leipsic J, Cheung A, Toggweiler S, Binder RK, Freeman M, Delarochellière R, Moss R, Nombela-Franco L, Dumont E, Szummer K, Fontana GP, Makkar R, Webb JG. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement With the St. Jude Medical Portico Valve: First-in-Human Experience. J Am Coll Cardiol, 2012 Aug 14; 60 (7):581-6.
Toggweiler S, Wood DA, Rodés-Cabau J, Kapadia S, Willson AB, Ye J, Cheung A, Leipsic J, Binder RK, Gurvitch R, Freeman M, Thompson CR, Svensson LG, Dumont E, Tuzcu EM, Webb JG. Transcatheter valve-in-valve implantation for failed balloon-expandable transcatheter aortic valves. JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2012 May; 5(5): 571-7.
Willson AB, Webb JG, Gurvitch R, Wood DA, Toggweiler S, Binder R, Freeman M, Madden M, Hague C, Leipsic J. Mid term Structural integrity of balloon-expandable stents after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: assessment by multidetector computed tomography. JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2012 May; 5(5): 525-32.
Toggweiler S, Boone RH, Rodés-Cabau J, Humphries KH, Lee M, Nombela-Franco L, Bagur R, Willson AB, Binder RK, Gurvitch R, Grewal J, Moss R, Munt B, Thompson CR, Freeman M, Ye J, Cheung A, Dumont E, Wood DA, Webb JG. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement: outcomes of patients with moderate or severe mitral regurgitation. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012 Jun 5; 59(23): 2068-74.
Binder RK, Leipsic J, Wood D, Moore T, Toggweiler S, Willson A, Gurvitch R, Freeman M, Webb JG. Prediction of Optimal Deployment Projection for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Angiographic 3-Dimensional Reconstruction of the Aortic Root Versus Multidetector Computed Tomography. Circ Cardiovasc Interv. 2012 Apr; 5(2): 247-52.
Willson AB, Webb JG, Labounty TM, Achenbach S, Moss R, Wheeler M, Thompson C, Min JK, Gurvitch R, Norgaard BL, Hague CJ, Toggweiler S, Binder R, Freeman M, Poulter R, Poulsen S, Wood DA, Leipsic J. 3-Dimensional Aortic Annular Assessment by Multidetector Computed Tomography Predicts Moderate or Severe Paravalvular Regurgitation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement A Multicenter Retrospective Analysis. JACC 2012 Apr 3; 59(14): 1287-94.
T. Lancefield, D.J. Clark, N. Andrianopoulos, A. Brennan, C.M. Reid, J. Johns, M. Freeman, K. Charter, S.J. Duffy, A.E. Ajani, J. Proietto, H.M.O. Farouque. Is There an Obesity Paradox After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in the Contemporary Era? JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions 2010; 3(6): 660 – 668.
M. Freeman, D. Clark, H. Lim, SJ. Duffy, N. Andrianopoulos, A. Brennan, K. Charter, J. Shaw, M. Sebastian, A.E. Ajani, C. Reid, M. Horrigan, H.M.O. Farouque. Procedural and clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ostial lesions (OL) in proximal coronary arteries. Catheterization and cardiovascular Interventions 2009; 73: 763-768.
H.S. Lim, H.M.O. Farouque, N. Andrianopoulos, B.P. Yan, C.C.S. Lim, A. Brennan, C. M. Reid, M. Freeman, K. Charter, A. Black, G. New, A.E. Ajani, S. J. Duffy, D. Clark. Survival of elderly patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock. JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions 2009; 2(2): 146 – 52.
A. Kreis, T.T Nguyen, J.J. Wang, S Rogers, A. Al-Fiadh, M. Freeman, T.Y. Wong, H.M.O. Farouque. Are Retinal microvascular calibre changes associated with severity of coronary artery disease in symptomatic cardiac patients? Microcirculation 2009; 16(2): 177 – 181.
Freeman M, Webb JG. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: An Interventionalist’s View. Multimodality Imaging for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement. In press, Springer Publishing, 2012.
