First commercial implants of ATS Medical's ATS 3f Enable Aortic Bioprosthesis performed

ATS Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATSI), manufacturer and marketer of state-of-the-art cardiac surgery products and services today announced the first commercial implants of the ATS 3f Enable® Aortic Bioprosthesis were recently performed at the University of Berne Hospital, Berne, Switzerland by Lars Englberger, MD, Mario Stalder, MD, and Professor Thierry Carrel.  The procedures were completed using a sutureless technique and the patients are recovering with no complications.  

The ATS 3f Enable valve is the first surgical aortic valve replacement approved for commercial use that is implanted using a sutureless technique.  The Enable valve combines the ATS 3f® Aortic Bioprosthesis with over eight years of proven clinical performance and a self-expanding Nitinol™ frame to hold the valve in its optimal position eliminating the need for conventional sutures.  This design allows the Enable valve to be folded into a small diameter and placed through a minimally invasive incision.  The Enable valve preserves native stress distribution and provides a large orifice area with laminar flow for excellent hemodynamics.  

Professor Thierry Carrel, Chief of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Berne commented, "The implants went smoothly.  There were no paravalvular leaks and the valves provide excellent hemodynamic performance with low single digit gradients.  The Enable valve will help us expand our number of minimally invasive procedures." He continued to say, "The Enable valve proves to be a true competitor for TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) because the diseased valve is removed, we can directly visualize the placement of the new valve thereby obtaining clinical outcomes similar to conventional procedures. He concluded by saying, "TAVI can be considered palliative whereas Enable is restorative."

Michael Dale, President and CEO of ATS Medical, stated, "These landmark procedures in Switzerland are a major milestone for the Enable platform with the goal of bringing this disruptive technology to the traditional surgical market.  Ultimately we envision the Enable platform facilitating minimally invasive procedures for patients without compromising conventional surgical valve outcomes."  

The Company is continuing to develop sutureless tissue valve technology for use in beating heart procedures based in part on the characteristics of the next generation of Enable valves.  First in human studies of these novel technologies are targeted for 2010.  Commercialization of a beating heart solution could occur within one to two years thereafter.  An Enable valve that is compatible in beating heart procedures would enlarge the Company's market opportunity by providing a solution for those patients who are poor candidates to endure conventional surgery or prefer a more minimally invasive solution.