Press Release:

TUCSON, Ariz. – Dec. 5, 2007 – On Nov. 26 and 27, two hospitals from Italy, one from Germany and one from Switzerland received the first phase of certification training for implanting the CardioWest™ temporary Total Artificial Heart (TAH-t) in Paris.

The four hospitals spent two days learning proper patient selection, blood management techniques, surgical procedures and patient recovery protocol. During the training, the group bested the previous record for fastest surgical technique, set July 18, 2007, by Dr. Stephen Clayson of Intermountain Medical Center (formerly LDS Hospital) in Salt Lake City.

A total of 20 hospital staff members participated in the CardioWest certification training. The hospitals and the implanting surgeons who participated included:

• The Heart Surgery Institute at the University of Padua (Italy)
  Prof. Dr. Gino Gerosa and Dr. Antonio Gambino


• University of Naples (Italy)
  Prof. Maurizio Cotrufo, Dr. Cristiano Amarelli, and Dr. Gianpaolo Romano


• Hannover Medical School (Germany)
  Prof. Dr. Martin Strüber and Frau Dr. Anna Meyer


• University Hospital Bern (Switzerland)
  PD Dr. Friedrich S. Eckstein

The final phase of certification training is the proctored first implant. The four hospitals are the 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st hospitals in the world to complete the first phase of certification training.

Today there are 22 TAH-t certified centers worldwide, with nine additional hospitals currently undergoing the certification process. There are already CardioWest certified centers in the United States, Germany, France, Canada and Austria. Sweden’s Sahlgrenska University Hospital completed its first phase of certification training in late August.

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About the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart
SynCardia Systems, Inc. (Tucson, AZ) is the privately-held manufacturer of the world's first and only FDA, Health Canada and CE approved Total Artificial Heart. Originally used as a permanent replacement heart, SynCardia's Total Artificial Heart is currently approved as a bridge to transplant for people dying from end-stage biventricular heart failure. There have been more than 950 implants of the Total Artificial Heart, accounting for more than 230 patient years of life.

Similar to a heart transplant, SynCardia's Total Artificial Heart replaces both failing heart ventricles and the four heart valves, eliminating the symptoms and source of end-stage biventricular failure. Unlike a donor heart, the Total Artificial Heart is immediately available at SynCardia Certified Centers and does not require expensive anti-rejection medication, which can cause subsequent complications. It is the only device that provides immediate, safe blood flow of up to 9.5 liters per minute through both ventricles. This high volume of safe blood flow helps speed the recovery of vital organs, helping make the patient a better transplant candidate.

SynCardia Ranked #20 Among World's 50 Most Innovative Companies
In March 2011, Fast Company magazine ranked SynCardia #20 in its annual list of the "World's 50 Most Innovative Companies" for "giving mobility to artificial heart recipients." Weighing 13.5 pounds, SynCardia's Freedom® portable driver is the world's first wearable driver designed to power the Total Artificial Heart both inside and outside the hospital. The Freedom driver is CE approved for use in Europe and undergoing an FDA-approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical study in the U.S.

For additional information, please visit: http://www.syncardia.com
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Media Contact:
Don Isaacs
Vice President of Communications
SynCardia Systems, Inc.
Cell: (520) 955-0660