Press Release:

Dr. Vigneshwar Kasirajan, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, VCU Medical Center

TUCSON, Ariz. – April 23, 2008 – SynCardia Systems, Inc., manufacturer of the CardioWest™ temporary Total Artificial Heart (TAH-t), has honored Mayo Clinic Arizona and Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center as CardioWest 100% Centers for 2007.

Both hospitals bridged 100% of their patients who received a CardioWest artificial heart to a donor heart transplant in 2007. Dr. Vigneshwar Kasirajan, Chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery for VCU Medical Center, has reached this milestone two years in row. Since VCU Medical Center became CardioWest certified on April 3, 2006, they have bridged eight of their CardioWest patients to transplant – four in 2006 and four in 2007.

“SynCardia’s CardioWest TAH-t is capable of supporting the sickest of patients with outstanding survival,” said Dr. Kasirajan. “We are honored to be a part of this award and a part of this CardioWest program.”

Dr. Francisco Arabia, Heart Transplant Program Surgical Director, Mayo Clinic Arizona

Mayo Clinic Arizona became a CardioWest certified center on Aug. 22, 2007. Since then, Dr. Francisco Arabia, Heart Transplant Program Surgical Director, and his team have bridged all five of their CardioWest patients to transplant.

“Our success with this device is a tribute to both our expert medical staff and the proven life-saving capabilities of this device,” said Dr. Arabia. “With the TAH-t, we can help some of the sickest patients get a second chance at life.”

The CardioWest artificial heart is approved as a bridge-to-transplant for patients dying from end-stage biventricular failure. These patients are often days, if not hours from death. Their survival depends on receiving a donor heart, or a CardioWest artificial heart as a bridge to human heart transplant.

There are currently 24 CardioWest certified centers worldwide, with nine additional hospitals undergoing the certification process.

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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 1,000 implants of the Total Artificial Heart, accounting for more than 250 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