Synergetics announces record sales leads generated from ophthalmic products

Synergetics USA, Inc. (NASDAQ: SURG), a medical device company that designs, manufactures, and markets innovative devices for ophthalmic and neurosurgical applications, today announced record sales leads generated from the presentation of recently released ophthalmic products at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). The AAO meeting was held in Chicago's McCormick Place on October 16-19, 2010.

“We are very pleased with the reception Synergetics received at the AAO meeting in Chicago based on our record sales leads generated during the event”

"We are very pleased with the reception Synergetics received at the AAO meeting in Chicago based on our record sales leads generated during the event," stated Dave Hable, President and CEO of Synergetics USA, Inc. "We believe our excellent results were due to new products showcased at the event and to new marketing materials that highlight our range of innovative products for ophthalmic applications.

"We showcased a series of recently launched new products or product extensions at the AAO meeting," continued Mr. Hable. "The Synergetics' products were previewed at our new and expanded booth at the AAO that resulted in higher sales leads, expanded contacts and an increase in traffic from domestic and international customers.

"We had an excellent reception to our new disposable handheld scissors and forceps that are part of our Pinnacle 360^oTM line of disposable handheld instruments for retinal surgery. The Pinnacle line has a unique design that features improved maneuverability and repositioning of the instrument compared with competing devices while providing surgeons with the advantages provided by disposable instrumentation.

"We are seeing increased demand for disposable instrumentation. Many surgeons prefer the assurance of single-use instrumentation where precision and sharpness are important in microsurgical applications compared with reusable instrumentation where performance may deteriorate with multiple uses. In addition, we believe disposable instruments provide a lower total cost per surgery since they eliminate the expense in handling, repair and sterilization of reusable instruments.

"The AAO meeting is the largest international gathering in the industry," continued Mr. Hable. "It provides us with an opportunity to meet with ophthalmic surgeons and related ophthalmic professionals. In addition, we expanded our industry contacts, providing us with additional marketing and manufacturing opportunities that have the potential of building our future sales. These include expanded international sales in new countries for Synergetics, new product ideas and opportunities to distribute other manufacturers' products. We believe our record leads and improved marketing results highlight our excellent visibility in the marketplace," concluded Mr. Hable.