ATS Medical Announces First Commercial Implants of the ATS 3f Aortic Bioprosthesis in the Uni...( MINNEAPOLIS Nov. 24 /- ATS Medical In...),Health

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ATS Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATSI), manufacturer and marketer of state-of-the-art cardiac surgery products and services, today announced that the first three commercial implants of the ATS 3f(R) Aortic Bioprosthesis were completed by Dr. Allan Stewart, Director, Aortic Surgery Program at Columbia University Medical Center in New York (http://www.ctsnet.org/home/allanstewart) on November 17 and 18, 2008.

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The ATS 3f Aortic Bioprosthesis is the Company's first entry into the $400-plus million U.S. tissue valve market. Based on the precept that 'Form Follows Function', the ATS 3f Aortic Bioprosthesis is a revolutionary next generation stentless pericardial aortic tissue valve that is unlike any other valve.

"The ATS 3f Aortic Bioprosthesis is the only tissue valve that preserves the sinuses and restores native valve stress distribution and physiologic flow to the entire aortic root," commented Dr. Stewart. "All three patients achieved postoperative aortic function that is nearly indistinguishable from a healthy native aortic valve. All three patients have been discharged with an excellent prognosis and remarkably low pressure gradients of 4, 2, and 0 mm Hg."

"The commercial launch of our first tissue valve in the U.S. is an important milestone for ATS Medical," added Mr. Dale, President and Chief Executive Officer of ATS Medical. "The tissue valve market presents the largest market opportunity of our current products and will importantly provide ATS Medical the leverage it needs to sustain high growth and enhanced profitability in
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