Cardica, Intuitive Surgical, MAQUET Cardiovascular and Transonic to Host 'Innovations in Revascularization' Symposium

-- Event To Be Held May 12 at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time in Conjunction with American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Annual Meeting

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., SUNNYVALE, Calif., SAN JOSE, Calif. and ITHACA, N.Y., May 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cardica, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRDC), Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISRG), MAQUET Cardiovascular LLC and Transonic Systems Inc. today announced they will host an evening symposium entitled "Innovations in Revascularization" in conjunction with the 88th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) in San Diego. During the symposium, leading cardiothoracic surgeons will discuss the benefits of using new technologies to facilitate off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) procedures, including minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery.

This educational event will take place on Monday, May 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. Pacific Time at the W Hotel San Diego and will feature "Enabling Technologies for Minimally Invasive Revascularization." Following presentations by the cardiothoracic surgeons, there will be an opportunity to meet the faculty. This activity is not part of the official scientific program of the AATS Annual Meeting.

"This educational forum is a tremendous opportunity for cardiothoracic surgeons to gain insight into the cutting-edge tools and techniques used to optimize beating-heart revascularization," said Mark W. Connolly, M.D., director of the department of cardiovascular thoracic surgery at Saint Michael's Medical Center in Newark, N.J. "Today, we are able to overcome the barriers presented by OPCAB and minimally invasive revascularization, including robotic-assisted surgery, by using innovative technologies throughout the procedure, resulting in consistent and reproducible outcomes in patients undergoing beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting."

The symposium will be moderated by Husam Balkhy, M.D., of The Wisconsin Heart Hospital, and will feature four cardiac surgeons presenting on the following topics:

• Mark W. Connolly, M.D., of Saint Michael's Medical Center -- "Cardiac Positioning for Complete Revascularization Off-Pump"
• Marc R. Katz, M.D., of Bon Secours Saint Mary's Hospital -- "Automated Distal Anastomosis Technology in Challenging Coronary Anatomy"
• John D. Puskas, M.D., of Emory University School of Medicine -- "Reduction of Aortic Manipulation via Device-Facilitated Proximal Anastomosis"
• Sudhir P. Srivastava, M.D., of the University of Chicago Medical Center -- "Robotic Revascularization: Redefining Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery"

To register for the symposium, please contact Jannette Buchanan at 650-421-7266 or Buchanan@cardica.com or visit Cardica's booth (#935) at the AATS conference.

About Cardica, Inc.

Cardica is a leading provider of automated anastomosis systems for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. By replacing hand-sewn sutures with easy-to-use automated systems, Cardica's products provide cardiovascular surgeons with rapid, reliable and consistently reproducible anastomoses, or connections of blood vessels, often considered the most critical aspect of the CABG procedure. Cardica's C-Port(R) Distal Anastomosis Systems are marketed in Europe and the United States. The PAS-Port(R) Proximal Anastomosis System is marketed in Europe and Japan, and Cardica has submitted a 510(k) premarket notification for clearance to market the PAS-Port system in the United States. Cardica also is developing additional devices with Cook Medical to facilitate vascular closure and other surgical procedures.

About Intuitive Surgical, Inc.'s Products

The da Vinci(R) Surgical System consists of a surgeon's viewing and control console having an integrated, high-performance InSite(R) 3-D, high definition vision system, a patient-side cart consisting of three or four robotic arms that position and precisely maneuver endoscopic instruments and an endoscope, and a variety of articulating EndoWrist(R) Instruments. By integrating computer-enhanced technology with surgeons' technical skills, Intuitive believes that its system enables surgeons to perform better surgery in a manner never before experienced. The da Vinci(R) Surgical System seamlessly and directly translates the surgeon's natural hand, wrist and finger movements on instrument controls at the surgeon's console outside the patient's body into corresponding micro-movements of the instrument tips positioned inside the patient through small puncture incisions, or ports. Learn more at http://www.daVinciSurgery.com and http://www.intuitivesurgical.com.

About MAQUET Cardiovascular

MAQUET Cardiovascular LLC is a division of MAQUET Medical Systems, part of the publicly listed Swedish group of companies GETINGE AB. MAQUET Cardiovascular was recently formed by combining MAQUET Cardiopulmonary with Boston Scientific's Vascular Surgery and Cardiac Surgery divisions, which includes the products and services of Guidant Cardiac Surgery. The creation of this new organization enables MAQUET to offer a comprehensive array of patient care solutions for less-invasive endoscopic vessel harvesting, off- and on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery, and vascular grafts. MAQUET has 170 years of healthcare experience, and is committed to becoming "The Gold Standard" for therapeutic medical equipment around the globe. As a market leader, MAQUET offers innovative medical solutions from three divisions: Surgical Workplaces, Critical Care, and Cardiovascular. MAQUET Medical Systems is headquartered in Rastatt, Germany and employs 4,100 employees, has more than 30 international sales and service subsidiaries, and a network of over 200 dealer distributors worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.maquet.com and http://www.getinge.com.

About Transonic Systems Inc.

Transonic Systems Inc. http://www.transonic.com designs, manufactures and markets biomedical flow measurement devices. From the laboratory to the operating room, our precision devices deliver quantitative and reliable flow data to surgeons, nephrologists, interventional radiologists and research scientists earning the company its reputation as the industry leader in biomedical flow measurement. Headquartered in Ithaca, New York, with subsidiaries in the Netherlands and Taiwan, the company sells its transit-time ultrasound flowmeters, hemodialysis, laser Doppler perfusion and angioplasty monitors throughout the world. Transonic flow sensors are used in heart bypass machines and intraoperatively during coronary artery bypass grafting and other surgeries to confirm adequate flows.

SOURCE Cardica, Inc.; Intuitive Surgical, Inc.; MAQUET Cardiovascular LLC; Transonic Systems Inc.

CONTACT: Jani Bergan of WeissComm Partners, Inc., +1-415-946-1064, jbergan@wcpglobal.com, for Cardica, Inc., Intuitive Surgical, Inc., MAQUET Cardiovascular LLC and Transonic Systems Inc.
Web site: http://www.intuitivesurgical.com
http://www.maquet.com
http://www.transonic.com