CryoLife Conducts Annual Cardiac Surgery Fellows Program

ATLANTA, May 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CryoLife, Inc. , a biomaterials and biosurgical device company, announced that it is conducting its annual Cardiac Surgery Fellows Program today at the Company's corporate headquarters training facility in Kennesaw, Georgia. The program will include discussions and demonstrations of surgical techniques of aortic valve replacement and complex ascending and thoracic aortic repair, as well as provide a practical laboratory to demonstrate and practice the techniques for proper implant site preparation and allograft implantation.

The keynote speaker will be Denton Cooley, M.D., President and Surgeon-in- Chief, The Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas. The program will be attended by surgery fellows from major U.S. surgical training institutions, and will be directed by Ronald C. Elkins, M.D., Professor Emeritus, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Three additional distinguished cardiovascular surgeons complete the faculty of this program: John Fehrenbacher, M.D., Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, CORVASC, Indianapolis, Indiana; Kenton Zehr, M.D., Associate Professor of Surgery, The Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota; and Emile Bacha, M.D., Department of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

"This CryoLife Fellows program provides an excellent opportunity for cardiovascular surgeons to discuss complex surgical procedures and practice the latest surgical techniques with leading surgeons," said Dr. Elkins. "Participants who have attended this program find it to be a valuable educational experience."

About CryoLife

Founded in 1984, CryoLife, Inc. is a leader in the processing and distribution of implantable living human tissues for use in cardiovascular and vascular surgeries throughout the United States and Canada. The Company's BioGlue Surgical Adhesive is FDA approved as an adjunct to sutures and staples for use in adult patients in open surgical repair of large vessels and is CE marked in the European Community and approved in Canada for use in soft tissue repair and approved in Australia for use in vascular and pulmonary sealing and repair.

For additional information about the company, visit CryoLife's web site: http://www.cryolife.com/ .

Contact: Joseph T. Schepers Vice President, Corporate Communications (770) 419-3355