ATSI Ats Medical (MM)

ATS Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATSI), manufacturer and marketer of state-of-the-art cardiac surgery products and services today announced the launch of a new website, www.MyHeartValveChoice.com, that is designed to be a credible key destination for visitors making mechanical heart valve replacement decisions. Not all mechanical heart valves are alike. Knowledge of the differences is important for people looking to gain further understanding about mechanical (artificial) heart valves in replacement heart valve surgery. That is what ATS Medical provides for patients, caregivers, cardiologists and cardiac surgeons when they visit this new site.

The domain name, MyHeartValveChoice.com, reflects the fact that patients and caregivers are critical participants in the process of choosing the mechanical heart valve to be used. With the increasing reliance on the Internet for information, patients overall have become better informed in their choices and more than ever are prepared to ask the right questions affecting decisions that impact their lives. Greater numbers of Internet users are searching for medical information about specific issues. According to "The Social Life of Health Information" report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 61% of U.S. adults go online for health information. Nearly half search for background on a specific disease or problem, 41% need to know about a medical procedure and 35% are looking for a doctor.

"We think that the MyHeartValveChoice.com website will afford patients, caregivers, cardiologists and cardiac surgeons much more confidence and comfort in their decisions about mechanical heart valve replacement," said Michael D. Dale, ATS Medical President and CEO. "We hope it will become an online destination for choosing the right mechanical heart valve and especially the ATS Open Pivot Mechanical Heart Valve."

Categorical differences in mechanical heart valve design can affect valve performance and quality of life. Patients and cardiac surgeons may not be aware of these. The MyHeartValveChoice.com website gives patients, caregivers, cardiologists and cardiac surgeons key information about choosing the right mechanical heart valve. Included are personal experiences of having a mechanical valve, clinical information and studies and the advantages of the ATS Open Pivot® Mechanical Heart Valve. Unlike other websites on heart valve disease and heart valve replacement, the site provides in-depth clinical information and specifically clinical experience with the ATS Open Pivot Mechanical Heart Valve.

The ATS Open Pivot Mechanical Heart Valve has been implanted in more than 200,000 patients worldwide and is a fundamentally different design from others. The valve has no cavities where blood can collect. Instead, leaflets pivot on smooth spherical projections (open pivots) that are not required to forcefully wash the pivot area. The result is a valve that reduces the likelihood of thrombus formation (blood clots), is gentler on the blood (reduces shear stress), and achieves quieter operation.

The website also provides patients with helpful information for exploring such topics as how the heart works, complete with illustrations and a glossary of terms, as well as what to ask the doctor. Cardiac surgeons become leading resources via the Surgeon Locator, making it easier for patients to find cardiac surgeons in their area.

For more than 30 years, mechanical heart valves have successfully provided patients with the ability to lead healthy, active, productive lives. Today, 20 to 30% of all patients diagnosed with heart valve disease receive a mechanical valve. Surgeons regularly select mechanical valves for their performance characteristics -- valve durability, thromboresistance (resistance to forming blood clots), hemodynamic performance (the measure of blood flowing through the heart valve), implantability (ease of implant) and patient quality of life.

Mechanical heart valve use is growing globally and ATS Medical continues to gain market share worldwide. The market for the ATS Open Pivot Mechanical Heart Valve has increased exponentially in many parts of the developing world. In China, for example, where eight out of ten patients receive a mechanical valve, the vast majority of medical centers now use the ATS Open Pivot valve in valve replacement surgery.

About ATS Medical

ATS Medical, Inc. is dedicated to 'Advancing The Standards' of cardiac surgery through the development, manufacturing and marketing of innovative products and services for the treatment of structural heart disease. ATS Medical serves the cardiac surgery community by focusing on two distinct but operationally synergistic market segments: heart valve disease therapy and surgical ablation of cardiac arrhythmias.

ATS was originally founded to develop the ATS Open Pivot® Heart Valve as a new mechanical heart valve standard of care. Today the ATS Open Pivot Heart Valve is the preferred mechanical heart valve in many markets around the world and the fastest growing mechanical prosthesis in the market. Building on this legacy and addressing the largest market segment in heart valve therapy, the ATS 3f® brand encompasses an innovative tissue heart valve portfolio to address conventional open surgery requirements as well as the growing demand for less invasive sutureless based procedures. The ATS 3f® portfolio includes offerings at various stages including early product development, pivotal clinical trials, and market commercialization. Completing the portfolio in heart valve therapy is the ATS Simulus® annuloplasty product line. Simulus products assist the surgeon in repairing a patient's native heart valve as an alternative to replacement. Continuing ATS Medical's focus on serving the cardiac surgery community are the ATS CryoMaze® products for surgical cryoablation of cardiac arrhythmias. ATS CryoMaze® products are used by surgeons to treat patients suffering from cardiac arrhythmias, the largest and fastest growing form of structural heart disease in populations over 60 years of age. The ATS Medical web site is http://www.atsmedical.com.

Cautionary Statements

This Press Release contains forward-looking statements that may include statements regarding intent, belief or current expectations of the Company and its management. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of important factors, including the results of clinical trials, the timing of regulatory approvals, the impact of pending healthcare reforms, regulatory actions, competition, pricing pressures, supplier actions and management of growth. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties that could affect the Company's activities and results, please refer to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and its most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q.

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Contacts: Michael Dale President/CEO 763-553-7736 Michael Kramer CFO 763-557-2222 Investors: Parice Halbert, CFA Westwicke Partners, LLC 443-213-0500