May 15, 2003
Guidant Receives Expanded Indication for Endoscopic Radial Artery Harvesting System

New Indication Allows Physicians to Harvest Artery in Arm For Coronary Bypass Graft Surgery

Indianapolis, Ind. and Santa Clara, Calif. - Guidant Corporation (NYSE: GDT), a world leader in the treatment of cardiac and vascular disease, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared an expanded indication of the VASOVIEW® Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting System to include the harvesting of the radial artery in the arm. The harvested vessels are used to bypass the blocked coronary artery in coronary artery bypass surgery to restore blood flow to the heart. This is the first endoscopic vessel harvesting system to have the specific indication for harvesting the radial arteries.

"Expanding the use of the VASOVIEW System will allow more cardiac surgery patients to benefit from a less invasive endoscopic vessel harvesting procedure and provide more options for surgeons and physician assistants in performing less invasive bypass procedures," said Maria Degois-Sainz, president, Cardiac Surgery, Guidant Corporation. "This advancement contributes to our commitment to continuously develop minimally invasive approaches in cardiac surgery designed to decrease complications and improve patient outcomes."

The VASOVIEW System has been used in more than 200,000 patients to date for endoscopic harvesting of the saphenous vein in the leg. Now a less-invasive procedure can also be performed to harvest the radial artery for use as a conduit in coronary artery bypass surgery. Blood pressure in radial arteries is higher than in veins, and as a result, arterial conduits may prove to be more durable grafts. The expanded indication for the VASOVIEW System will allow the artery to be harvested through a single one-inch incision on the arm instead of through a long open incision extending from the elbow to the wrist.

Patients who undergo endoscopic vessel harvesting may recover more quickly than those who undergo traditional vessel harvesting. Additionally, they may be at a lower risk for developing postoperative infections due to the smaller and less traumatic incision. The radial artery is harvested in approximately 15-20 percent of bypass procedures each year. This percentage may grow with increases in the number of patients who require multi-vessel bypass surgery or additional bypass procedures.

"Endoscopic vessel harvesting has tremendous potential benefit for patients by reducing arm and leg wound complications and offering a much better cosmetic result," said Dr. Ronald H. Miles, a cardiac surgeon at Wausau Hospital in Wisconsin.

Guidant Corporation pioneers lifesaving technology, giving an opportunity for better life today to millions of cardiac and vascular patients worldwide. The company, driven by a strong entrepreneurial culture of 11,000 employees, develops, manufactures and markets a broad array of products and services that enable less invasive care for some of life''s most threatening medical conditions. For more information visit www.guidant.com.