Sunil Iyer, MD

Every patient I see, regardless of their medical needs, can expect one important thing: I will work to treat them exactly as I would want one of my own family members to be treated. I want them to think of me as not just their doctor, but as their friend. When you need a doctor to take care of your heart health, you deserve one you can trust to understand not just your health, but your life. By learning about and understanding those two things, I can offer you the best treatment to achieve your goals and get you back to the activities and people you love. \n Throughout my career, I have stayed active in both local and national groups dedicated to cardiology care, including the American Heart Association, the North Carolina Chapter of the American College of Cardiology and the New Hanover-Pender County Medical Society. These groups help me stay up to date on the very latest advances in cardiology care and offer opportunities for collaboration that benefit my patients. \n My wife, Robin, and I have two sons, and we are so proud to now be grandparents. When we are not spending time with our family, we enjoy staying active. For exercise, I like to cycle and golf. I also enjoy watching sports, especially Carolina basketball.

Heart care is a family passion. My father was a cardiothoracic surgeon, and his love of the heart rubbed off on me. I was fortunate to attend Duke University, where I majored in biomedical engineering. It was there that I figured out how to blend my love of cardiology with my engineering background, leading me to the field of cardiac electrophysiology. \n Electrophysiology can be a complicated field, but I want my patients to understand the parts that are important to them so they can make informed decisions about their care. You will often see me take out my dry erase board to outline steps of different procedures. I want to answer all questions because I know being comfortable with and confident in care can help lead to better outcomes. \n In addition to the time I spend with my patients, I also devote time to professional organizations including the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS). These groups allow me to collaborate with providers from across the country, which benefits my patients. My patients also benefit from my involvement in clinical trials across the field of cardiology. \n Along with my wife and three kids, I love living in Wilmington. Together, we enjoy outdoor activities and the beach. We all love swimming, and encourage everyone in our area to learn to swim since water is all around us. Even our labrador retrievers love to swim!

When I give advice to patients, it is the advice I would give to my friends or family members. I want each patient to know that I care about them as a person, and I will be there to see them through any acute issues and any ongoing treatment. \n Earlier in my career, I worked with children taking part in research studies in the hematology/oncology division. I was able to follow patients through their entire time in those studies, and very much enjoyed developing those relationships and providing that continuity of care. I chose cardiology/electrophysiology because it, too, allows me to follow patients in clinic and develop a relationship with them. \n I am proud to have developed the atrial fibrillation clinic and to be the first physician to use radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center. As the field of electrophysiology is rapidly changing, I will continue to help bring new technology and research to our community in my role as the electrophysiology division chair. \n Outside of work, I enjoy spending my time with my husband, our two children, and our dog and cat. We love being out on the water and camping. When I have time to myself, I like cooking for family and friends.