ATLANTA, April 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CryoLife, Inc. , a biomaterials and biosurgical device company, announced today that it will conduct its annual Cardiac Surgery Fellows Program on April 7, 2006, at the company's corporate headquarters training facility in Kennesaw, Ga. The program will include discussions and demonstrations of aortic valve replacement techniques using allografts. In addition, there will be demonstrations of complex ascending and thoracic aortic repair, as well as a practical laboratory to demonstrate and practice the techniques for proper implant site preparation and allograft implantation.
The keynote speaker will be Donald B. Doty, M.D., Department of Surgery, Research and Education, LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. Doty is the Chairman of the Missionary Department Health Services for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The program will be attended by 21 surgery fellows from major U.S. surgical training institutions, and will be directed by Ronald C. Elkins, M.D., Professor Emeritus, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Six additional distinguished cardiovascular surgeons complete the faculty of this program: Emile A. Bacha, M.D., Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School and Senior Associate, Cardiac Surgery, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, Mass.; John R. Doty, M.D., Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah; John Fehrenbacher, M.D., Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, CORVASC, Indianapolis, Ind.; Jose A. Navia, M.D., Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, Cleveland, Ohio; Francis Robicsek, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, N.C.; Kenton J. Zehr, M.D., Chief of Cardiac Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
"Participants who have attended the CryoLife Cardiac Surgery Fellows Program have found it to be an invaluable opportunity to discuss complex surgical procedures and practice the latest surgical techniques with leading cardiovascular surgeons," said Dr. Elkins. "The CryoLife Fellows Program provides an excellent educational experience for these future cardiovascular surgeons."
About CryoLife
Founded in 1984, CryoLife, Inc. is a leader in the processing and distribution of implantable living human tissues for use in cardiovascular and vascular surgeries throughout the United States and Canada. The Company's BioGlue(R) Surgical Adhesive is FDA approved as an adjunct to sutures and staples for use in adult patients in open surgical repair of large vessels, CE marked in the European Community and approved in Canada for use in soft tissue repair, and approved in Australia for use in vascular and pulmonary sealing and repair. The Company also manufactures the SG Model #100 vascular graft, which is CE marked for distribution within the European Community.
For additional information about the Company, visit CryoLife's Web site: http://www.cryolife.com Media Contacts: D. Ashley Lee Katie Brazel Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Fleishman Hillard Officer and Chief Operating Officer Phone: 404-739-0150 Phone: 770-419-3355
CryoLife, Inc.CONTACT: D. Ashley Lee, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officerand Chief Operating Officer of CryoLife, Inc., +1-770-419-3355; or KatieBrazel of Fleishman Hillard, +1-404-739-0150
Web site: http://www.cryolife.com//