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Midland Memorial to offer new stroke-prevention procedure for afib patients. Patients in the Permian Basin living with atrial fibrillation and struggling to stay on blood thinners will soon have a new treatment option close to home. Keep Watching Dr. Sulay Patel, an interventional cardiologist with Permian Cardiology, will be the first physician to perform the minimally invasive left atrial appendage occlusion procedure at Midland Memorial Hospital. Article continues below this ad "This procedure is designed for patients with atrial fibrillation on blood thinners but having difficulty tolerating them either due to frequent bleeding events or high risk of having major bleeding," Patel explained. The umbrella-shaped implant can help prevent strokes while potentially allowing patients to come off long-term blood thinners. "So, this device is designed to be implanted to seal off the left atrial appendage from the patient's circulation, to reduce their risk of stroke," Patel said. "It can also reduce their risk of bleeding because they do not need to be on long-term blood thinners approximately six months after the device is implanted." Article continues below this ad Over six months, the heart's cell lining should grow over the device, completely sealing off that area from the rest of the circulation, Patel explained. "Stroke is a really common diagnosis in this area, and atrial fibrillation is one of the most common causes of a lot of patients who have strokes," Patel said. Many patients who have strokes also have other health issues that can prevent them from taking long-term blood thinners, he added. "This is a great device to help reduce that risk of stroke in these patients who are unable to tolerate long-term blood thinners," Patel said. Article continues below this ad The recovery process after the procedure is similar to that of an angiogram or cardiac catheterization, such as a stent procedure, according to Patel. The incisions are small and made through the groin, so activity restrictions after the procedure are limited. However, patients will have to remain on some sort of blood thinner for at least the first six months as the device is healing. The procedure is done primarily by interventional cardiologists and electrophysiologists, a role that requires about eight years of training after medical school, Patel said. There is also additional training to perform the procedure, sponsored by the companies that make the devices, that takes a year to complete. Article continues below this ad Patel has completed the training and was implanting the devices at his prior job. He said he's excited to establish the program at Permian Cardiology. Patel will do the first procedure on Wednesday. He said there are already three to four patients scheduled for surgery on Wednesday. "It's exciting that we're able to offer this to patients," he said. "I encourage all patients to always discuss with their doctors about new technologies and new treatment options." He added that medicine is always evolving, and that it's important for patients to be informed about all their options. Article continues below this ad Patel said that providing this procedure to patients in West Texas is important because they previously had to travel hours to get this care, which is becoming the standard of care across the country. "This is a new step that we're taking here to try to provide comprehensive cardiology care," he said. "I think it's important that we're able to offer these procedures here locally." He added that he's excited to bring a skill set that isn't easily accessed to serve the community that he grew up in. "I'm really excited to bring a new procedure to the area, to continue to grow our program and bring access to care we haven't had here before," Patel said. Article continues below this ad For now, Patel will be the only physician performing the procedure. He said that they are open to teaching more people to do the procedure because having more doctors will increase access to care. The Permian Cardiology program is growing, Patel said. They recently established a cardiology fellowship, which brings a new element and more access to care. "Our long-term plan is to continue to grow and continue to bring modern and up-to-date care to the Permian Basin," Patel said. Article continues below this ad April 7, 2026 Kessly Salinas is a reporter at the Midland Reporter Telegram. She is from Friona, Texas and graduated from St. Edward's University with a bachelor's degree in global studies in May of 2023. Kessly minored in journalism and digital media and was an editorial intern for Austin Vida and the Friona Star newspaper.

Midland Health in Midland, Texas, and Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence, Kansas, have both partnered with the Center to expand their medical ethics capabilities.