Press Release:

60 hospitals worldwide have begun certification to implant the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Dec. 7, 2010 – SynCardia Systems, Inc. announced today that the surgical teams from Ljubljana University Medical Center in Slovenia and Ankara University in Turkey have completed the first phase of certification to implant the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart in Paris. The two hospitals are the 59th and 60th transplant centers worldwide to begin the four-phase certification process.

Ljubljana University Medical Center (Slovenia)
Led by: Drs. Ivan Knezevic and Matija Jelenc
Ljubljana is one of the largest hospitals in central Europe and the first hospital in Slovenia to begin certification for the Total Artificial Heart. In 2009, Ljubljana performed 16 heart transplants. In Slovenia, there are approximately 30,000 people suffering from heart failure, with an additional 3,000 new cases diagnosed annually.

In November 2007, Ljubljana performed Slovenia's first implant of a mechanical circulatory support (MCS) device. The hospital projects performing approximately 15 MCS surgeries annually, including the Total Artificial Heart.

Ankara University (Turkey)
Led by: Prof. Ahmet Ruchan Akar, M.D. and Prof. Sadik Eryilmaz, M.D.
Ankara University performs approximately 1,000 open heart operations annually. The Cardiovascular Department consists of four operating rooms and 84 patient beds. The department staff includes 9 staff surgeons and 4 fellow surgeons.

Ankara University performed Turkey's first artificial heart implant on Feb. 27, 1988, when it implanted the Symbion Jarvik 7 artificial heart, the predecessor to the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart, as a bridge to transplant.

Around the world, there are currently 33 SynCardia Certified Centers, including 18 in Europe. An additional 18 European hospitals and 10 U.S. hospitals are currently undergoing certification. SynCardia Certified Centers are located in Germany, Italy, France, Australia, Russia, Austria, Turkey, Sweden, Canada and the U.S.

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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