(New Orleans, LA)  --  The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court decision to deny Lafayette cardiologist Mehmood Patel bail pending appeal of his healthcare fraud case.  U.S. District Judge Tucker Melancon [[ muh-LAW-saw ]] of Lafayette recently ordered Patel to begin his ten-year sentence on July 6th.  But the appeals court decision will allow Patel to remain free on bail until his appeal is heard.  He was convicted in December on 51 counts of healthcare fraud after being accused of performing a number of unnecessary cardiac procedures and billing public and private insurers for those procedures.