REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cardica, Inc. and Intuitive Surgical, Inc. today announced they will host an evening symposium on the topic of “Advanced Techniques and Technologies in Robotic Coronary Revascularization and Mitral Valve Repair.” The symposium will feature Intuitive’s da Vinci(R) Surgical System and Cardica’s innovative C-Port (R) Distal Anastomosis Systems, which are designed to allow surgeons to automate the attachment of blood vessel grafts during coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures, replacing traditional hand-sewn sutures.
The educational event will take place on Sunday, January 27, from 7 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time at the Renaissance Hotel Grand Ballroom in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. during the 44th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the largest meeting of cardiothoracic surgeons in North America. This activity is not part of the official scientific program of STS.
“This symposium offers cardiothoracic surgeons an opportunity to learn from their peers who are leading the adoption of beating heart robotic CABG surgery and the establishment of robotic mitral valve surgery as standard of care,” said Louis A. Brunsting, III, M.D., cardiothoracic surgeon for Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. “The Cardica C-Port systems and da Vinci Surgical System featured during this symposium have the potential to revolutionize the field of cardiothoracic surgery, as they may facilitate a more widespread adoption of completely closed-chest, robotic-assisted coronary artery bypass grafting.”
During the symposium, five leading cardiac surgeons will present on the following topics:
To register for the symposium, please contact Angie Lupkes at 608-215-4520 or Angie.Lupkes@intusurg.com or visit Cardica’s booth (#625) at the STS conference.
About the C-Port xA and Flex A Anastomosis Systems
Cardica’s C-Port systems are designed to enable automated, reliable and reproducible connections of blood vessels during CABG surgery. Unlike most hand-sewn anastomoses, Cardica’s C-Port systems create compliant anastomoses that can expand and contract with blood flow. In addition, the C-Port anastomosis systems, whether used during on- or off-pump surgery, offer surgeons unique access to a wide range of coronary arteries, particularly small coronary arteries on which, in the past, CABG procedures have been very difficult or impossible to perform. The C-Port Flex A system features several innovative modifications to Cardica’s C-Port xA system. The C-Port Flex A system has a flexible, rather than rigid, shaft and is designed to create compliant anastomoses in vessels as small as one millimeter in internal diameter. Importantly, the flexible shaft is designed to allow surgeons to position the device to create a secure connection even in difficult to reach areas of the heart.
About the da Vinci(R) Surgical System
The da Vinci Surgical System is a sophisticated robotic platform designed to enable complex surgery using a minimally invasive approach. The da Vinci System consists of an ergonomic surgeon’s console, a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, a high-performance vision system and proprietary EndoWrist(R) instruments. Powered by state-of-the-art robotic technology, the da Vinci System is designed to scale, filter and seamlessly translate the surgeon’s hand movements into more precise movements of the EndoWrist instruments. The net result is an intuitive interface with breakthrough surgical capabilities. By providing surgeons with superior visualization, enhanced dexterity, greater precision and ergonomic comfort, the da Vinci Surgical System makes it possible for more surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures involving complex dissection or reconstruction. This ultimately raises the standard of care for complex surgeries, translating into numerous potential patient benefits, including less pain, a shorter recovery and quicker return to normal daily activities.
About Cardica
Cardica is a leading provider of automated anastomosis systems for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. By replacing hand-sewn sutures with easy-to-use automated systems, Cardica’s products provide cardiovascular surgeons with rapid, reliable and consistently reproducible anastomoses, or connections of blood vessels, often considered the most critical aspect of the CABG procedure. Cardica’s C-Port(R) Distal Anastomosis Systems are marketed in Europe and the United States. The PAS-Port(R) Proximal Anastomosis System is marketed in Europe and Japan and is being evaluated in a pivotal trial in the United States and Europe. Cardica also is developing additional devices with Cook Incorporated to facilitate vascular closure and other surgical procedures.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking” statements, including statements relating to the potential impact the adoption of Cardica’s C-Port systems may have on the future success of closed-chest CABG procedures. Any statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. The word “may” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause Cardica’s results to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements, including risks associated with market acceptance of Cardica’s C-Port systems and long-term patency of CABG grafts completed with Cardica’s C-Port systems, as well as other risks detailed from time to time in Cardica’s SEC reports, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2007. Cardica does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements. You are encouraged to read Cardica’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, available at http://www.sec.gov.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of our management and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various important factors, including the following: timing and success of product development and market acceptance of developed products; regulatory approvals, clearances and restrictions; guidelines and recommendations in the health care and patient communities; intellectual property positions and litigation; competition in the medical device industry and in the specific markets of surgery in which Intuitive Surgical operates; and unanticipated manufacturing disruptions; delays in regulatory approvals of new manufacturing facilities or the inability to meet demand for products. Words such as “estimate”, “project”, “plan”, “intend”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
CONTACT: Daryl Messinger of WeissComm Partners, +1-415-999-2361,
dmessinger@wcpglobal.com, for Cardica
