MINNEAPOLIS, June 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ATS Medical, Inc. , manufacturer and marketer of state-of-the-art cardiac surgery products and services, today announced participation in the upcoming International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS) Meeting in San Francisco on June 3-6, 2009. The ISMICS meeting is a significant gathering of cardiovascular surgeons from around the world whose interests include the latest developments in less invasive forms of heart surgery. The annual ISMICS meeting provides an excellent venue for the Company to exhibit its growing portfolio of clinically relevant products designed to meet the needs of cardiac surgeons.
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Exemplifying ATS’s broad product offering is the ATS CryoMaze(R) Surgical Ablation System which is used to treat patients with cardiac arrhythmias. The ATS CryoMaze System provides results comparable to the gold standard cut-and-sew Cox Maze III procedure and is being used by a growing number of surgeons as their ablation technology of choice. ATS is sponsoring a Frontiers in Cryoablation symposium titled “Evolving Standards in Cardiac Arrhythmia Surgery” scheduled at 12:00 pm on Thursday, June 4, 2009 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel. The presentations will include “Rationale for a Complete Cox Maze III Biatrial Lesion Set” by Niv Ad, MD, “Robotic Stand-alone Atrial Fibrillation Surgery: the ECU Experience” by W. Randolph Chitwood, MD, “Minimally Invasive Stand-alone Atrial Fibrillation Surgery: the INOVA Experience” by Niv Ad, MD, and “Ablation of the Ganglionated Plexi: Fact or Fiction?” by Ralph Damiano, MD. The ATS CryoMaze Surgical Ablation System is uniquely suited for robotic and minimally invasive surgical approaches and will be prominently featured in the exhibition.
The ATS Simulus(R) Annuloplasty product line, designed for the heart valve repair market, will be showcased with special focus on the new ATS Simulus Semi-Rigid Annuloplasty Ring. The Simulus products easily accommodate the use of surgical clips during minimally invasive and robotic procedures and are the annuloplasty product of choice for many surgeons using these techniques for mitral valve repair. ATS Medical also offers unique tools designed to meet the access challenges of less invasive and robotic procedures. These tools include the ATS Thoracic Ports which provide excellent visibility and a clear, stable opening for instrument exchange and suture passage and ATS Suture Hooks which facilitate quick and easy running sutures quick and easy.
Another feature of the ATS exhibition will be the ATS 3f(R) Aortic Bioprosthesis which is designed to replace the patient’s diseased valve. The ATS 3f Aortic Bioprosthesis is a revolutionary next generation stentless pericardial aortic tissue valve that is unlike any other valve with its tubular design that restores continuity between the annulus and the sinotubular junction. By restoring this continuity, the ATS 3f Aortic Bioprosthesis is the only aortic valve that preserves the sinuses and restores native valve stress distribution and physiologic blood flow. The ATS 3f Aortic Bioprosthesis design provides surgeons and patients with a potentially more durable solution to aortic valve replacement.
The mechanical heart valve segment will feature the flagship ATS Open Pivot(R) Heart Valve and its newest advancement, the ATS Open Pivot(R) AP360(TM) with enhanced surgical implant characteristics. The family of ATS mechanical heart valves features a unique open pivot design that results in exceptional hemodynamic performance and a low risk profile.
Hands-on demonstrations of all the unique technologies from ATS Medical will be available at the ATS Medical booth #201.
About ATS Medical
ATS Medical, Inc. is dedicated to “Advancing The Standards” of cardiac surgery through the development, manufacturing and marketing of innovative products and services for the treatment of structural heart disease. ATS Medical serves the cardiac surgery community by focusing on two distinct but operationally synergistic market segments: heart valve disease therapy and surgical ablation of cardiac arrhythmias.
ATS was originally founded to develop the ATS Open Pivot(R) Heart Valve as a new mechanical heart valve standard of care. Today the Open Pivot heart valve is the preferred mechanical heart valve in many markets around the world and the fastest growing mechanical prosthesis in the market. Building on this legacy and addressing the largest market segment in heart valve therapy, the ATS 3f(R) brand encompasses an innovative tissue heart valve portfolio to address conventional open surgery requirements as well as the growing demand for less invasive sutureless based procedures. The ATS 3f(R) portfolio includes offerings at various stages including early product development, pivotal clinical trials, and market commercialization. Completing the portfolio in heart valve therapy is the ATS Simulus(R) annuloplasty product line. Simulus products assist the surgeon in repairing a patient’s native heart valve as an alternative to replacement. Continuing ATS Medical’s focus on serving the cardiac surgery community are the ATS CryoMaze(TM) products for surgical cryoablation of cardiac arrhythmias. ATS CryoMaze(TM) products are used by surgeons to treat patients suffering from cardiac arrhythmias, the largest and fastest growing form of structural heart disease in populations over 60 years of age. The ATS Medical web site is http://www.atsmedical.com.
Safe Harbor
This Press Release contains forward-looking statements that may include statements regarding intent, belief or current expectations of the Company and its management. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of important factors, including the results of clinical trials, the timing of regulatory approvals, the integration of 3f Therapeutics and the surgical cryoablation business of CryoCath Technologies, Inc., regulatory actions, competition, pricing pressures, supplier actions and management of growth. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties that could affect the Company’s activities and results, please refer to the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 and its most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q.
CONTACT: Media, Michael Dale, President/CEO, +1-763-553-7736, or Michael
Kramer, CFO, +1-763-557-2222, both of ATS Medical, Inc.; or Investors,
Parice Halbert, CFA of Westwicke Partners, LLC, +1-443-213-0500, for ATS
Medical, Inc.
Web site: http://www.atsmedical.com/
