St. Jude Medical to Profile the Epicor Cardiac Ablation System at Amer

St. Jude Medical to Profile the Epicor Cardiac Ablation System at American Association of Thoracic Surgeons Meeting

    Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers
    American Association of Thoracic Surgeons (AATS) Meeting

    ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2005--St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) today announced it is profiling the Epicor(TM) Cardiac Ablation System, featuring High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) technology, at the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons (AATS) meeting April 10 - 12 in San Francisco, California. The Company is also showcasing its broad range of mechanical and tissue heart valves, repair products, and other cardiac surgery offerings at Booth #1519.
    The St. Jude Medical Epicor(TM) Cardiac Ablation System allows an ablation device to be placed on the outside of a beating heart and deliver HIFU energy across the wall of the heart to create very precise and contiguous lines of cardiac tissue ablation. Because of its unique HIFU energy source, the Epicor(TM) system enables physicians to create ablative lesions safely and reproducibly, without use of a heart-lung (cardiopulmonary) bypass machine.
    "The introduction of this innovative surgical approach represents an important step forward for physicians and patients requiring cardiac ablation," said Jane J. Song, President of the St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division. "We have been very pleased with the performance of the Epicor(TM) Cardiac Ablation System."
    The Epicor(TM) System's HIFU technology allows physicians to safely and effectively create ablative lesions through a less invasive approach, without placing patients on a cardiopulmonary bypass system and arresting their heart.
    "Several leading institutions around the world have been trained and are successfully using the Epicor(TM) Cardiac Ablation System," continued Song. "Additional centers are prepared to begin training, and we will continue to expand these efforts throughout 2005."
    St. Jude Medical will also showcase its broad portfolio of mechanical and tissue heart valves, repair products, and other cardiac surgery technologies at AATS, including the new SJM(R) Masters HP(TM) Valved Graft with Gelweave Valsalva(TM) technology, and the SJM(TM) Rigid Saddle Ring.
    This SJM Aortic Valved Graft offers surgeons a premium quality composite valve graft combining the exceptional hemodynamics of the SJM Masters HP(TM) valve with the implantability advantages of Vascutek's (a Terumo Company) Gelweave Valsalva(TM) Graft, designed to mimic the geometry of the natural sinuses of Valsalva. The SJM(TM) Rigid Saddle Ring will be launched later this year and is the first annuloplasty ring available with a complete natural saddle shape, intended to mimic the anatomy of a healthy human mitral annulus. The ring is designed to reduce stress on the chords and leaflets, for a more durable repair, and its unique sewing cuff allows for easier suturing.
    "AATS provides a valuable opportunity to introduce our new cardiac surgery products, gather feedback from surgeons around the world, and underscore our commitment to develop the broadest range of therapy solutions and technologies for physicians and their patients," said George J. Fazio, President of St. Jude Medical's Cardiac Surgery Division.

    St. Jude Medical-sponsored symposia at AATS include:

--	The Power of Focused Energy: High Intensity Focused Ultrasound and Emerging Approaches to Cardiac Ablation. The Sunday, April 10, symposium featured presentations by Dr. James Cox, Emeritus Professor of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, discussing the past and future evolution of surgical AF ablation; Dr. Richard Shemin, Professor and Chairman, Boston University School of Medicine, who reviewed effectiveness and current techniques using the Epicor(TM) Cardiac Ablation System; and Dr. Mark Groh, Asheville Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons, Asheville, NC, who discussed future techniques, including minimally invasive access, made possible by HIFU and the Epicor(TM) ablation technology.
--	Driving Tissue Technology. On Monday, April 11, St. Jude Medical will host an International (OUS) Tissue Symposium at the San Francisco Marriott featuring an international lineup of physicians. Dr. Pia Myken, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden, will be highlighting the 20 year clinical experience of the SJM Biocor(R) stented tissue valve; Professor Gino Gerosa, Associate Professor in the Cardiac Surgery Department at the Padova University, will be discussing SJM Biocor(R) valve mid-term results; Dr. W.R. Eric Jamieson, Professor of Surgery at the University of British Columbia, will be reviewing the durability of porcine and pericardial tissue valves; and Dr. Robert Frater, who was the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Montefiore Medical Center in New York from 1976-1994 and currently is the Medical Director for St. Jude Medical, will be discussing the next generation of tissue valve technology.

    St. Jude Medical's Atrial Fibrillation business is committed to leadership in the development of curative therapies for atrial fibrillation through innovative technologies, procedures and clinical studies that will result in clinically reproducible and economically compelling treatment options.
    Atrial fibrillation is a widespread cardiac rhythm disorder in which the upper chambers of the heart do not beat effectively because of abnormal electrical activity. AF results in reduced cardiac output, exacerbates heart failure and can lead to stroke or other neurological problems. Atrial fibrillation currently affects over 6 million people worldwide. The disease is progressive, increasing in frequency and severity as patients grow older. The economic impact of AF on public and private health care systems is increasing as the population ages.
    Any statements made regarding the Company's anticipated future product launches, regulatory approvals, revenues, earnings, market shares, and potential clinical success are forward-looking statements which are subject to risks and uncertainties, such as those described in the Financial Section of the Company's Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 (see page 17). Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.
    St. Jude Medical, Inc. (www.sjm.com) is dedicated to the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative medical devices of the highest quality, offering physicians, patients and payers outstanding clinical performance and demonstrated economic value.

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CONTACT: St. Jude Medical, Inc., St. Paul Investor Relations: Laura Merriam, 651-766-3029 or Media Relations: Peter Gove, 651-481-7790

KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA MINNESOTA TRACK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MEDICAL DEVICES MANUFACTURING MEDICAL TRADESHOW PRODUCT SOURCE: St. Jude Medical, Inc.

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