Amado Ruiz-Razura, M.D. to Present ACCUFUSER(R) Pump Study at American Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting.

DENVER -- Patients Using the ACCUFUSER(R) Post-Op Pain Control Pump After "Tummy Tuck" Surgery Required 49 Percent Less Narcotic Medication and Recovered 21 Percent Faster

Amado Ruiz-Razura, M.D., FACS, a well-known aesthetic/plastic surgeon and clinical investigator, will report at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Annual Scientific Meeting on a successful study using the ACCUFUSER(R) Post-Op Pain Control Pump from McKinley Medical to manage post-operative pain following abdominoplasty ("tummy tuck") and other body-contouring surgical procedures.

The study, conducted by Henry A. Mentz, III, M.D.; Amado Ruiz-Razura, M.D.; and colleagues from The Aesthetic Center for Plastic Surgery in Houston, Tex., and entitled "The Delivery of Pain Medication with Regional Infusion Pumps in Body Contouring Surgery," will be presented as a scientific poster for viewing by ASPS Annual Meeting attendees September 25 - 28, 2005 in Chicago, Ill.

As reported in the study, 25 patients undergoing abdominoplasty ("tummy tuck") surgery who used an ACCUFUSER(R) Post-Op Pain Control Pump to relieve their pain after surgery required 49 percent less narcotic pain medication, regained mobility 22 percent faster and resumed normal activities 21 percent faster than 25 control patients who did not use the pump. The patients using the ACCUFUSER(R) Pump not only experienced significant reduction in their post-operative pain, but were able to get out of bed an average of 32 hours after surgery, compared to 41 hours for patients not using the pump. Patients using the ACCUFUSER(R) Pump were able to resume daily activities five days following surgery, one day sooner on average than patients not using the pump.

According to Dr. Ruiz-Razura: "Most of the patients we see in aesthetic surgery are relatively healthy, so post-operative pain becomes more of an issue, and management of that pain, more important. We decided to study regional infusion pumps because we're always interested in improving post-op recovery and bringing new advanced technology into the effort."

"These results are worth reporting," says Dr. Mentz, "because a more sedentary recovery after a procedure like abdominoplasty carries a higher risk of such complications as pneumonia, pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis."

Fifty patients who underwent abdominoplasty surgery were included in the study. Following their surgery, an experimental group of 25 patients received continuous infusion of a local anesthetic medication delivered directly to the incision area by the ACCUFUSER(R) Post-Op Pain Control Pump, a portable regional infusion device from McKinley Medical, LLC. An optional bolus dose button included with the ACCUFUSER(R) Pump enabled these patients to self-administer additional anesthetic medication within prescribed limits set by the physicians. Standard oral and intramuscular narcotic pain medications were also available to these patients if needed. The control group of 25 patients not using the ACCUFUSER(R) Pump received only standard oral and intramuscular narcotic pain medications following surgery.

The ASPS Annual Scientific Meeting, called "Plastic Surgery 2005", will be held September 24 - 28, 2005 at the McCormick Place Lakeside Center in Chicago. According to the ASPS, the meeting will provide participants with information on current and emerging issues and advances affecting the diagnosis and delivery of treatment for plastic and reconstructive surgical problems; broaden participants' technical knowledge in state-of-the-art procedures and drug and medical device uses; and communicate current practice management and regulatory issues necessary for the efficient and safe delivery of patient care. For more information on ASPS, please visit www.plasticsurgery.org.

About McKinley Medical

McKinley Medical, LLC will be exhibiting the ACCUFUSER (R) Pump at the ASPS Annual Meeting (booth 1335). McKinley Medical, an affiliate of The Broe Companies and located in suburban Denver, Colo., has pioneered ambulatory pain management systems for a variety of medical specialties. For over seven years, McKinley Medical has been introducing innovative pain management systems. The ACCUFUSER(R) Post-Op Pain Control Pump is fast becoming a leading choice for ambulatory regional analgesia following general, orthopedic and aesthetic/plastic surgery. For more information, please visit www.controlpostoppain.com.

About The Broe Companies

Founded in 1972, The Broe Companies is an international investment, acquisition, and operational enterprise headquartered in Denver, Colo. The company is involved in an expanding and diverse array of businesses and industries including: Transportation, featuring OmniTRAX, the largest private rail and rail-related operation in North America; Strategic Capital, including McKinley Medical, a global supplier of innovative drug infusion systems; Real Estate, incorporating the ownership and operation of premier office, industrial, and multi-family properties throughout North America; Aspen Retirement Communities, which owns and operates independent and assisted living communities across the United States, with eight communities and nearly 1,400 units; and Energy including Century Coal.

Broe seeks to engage with qualified business people to discuss possible acquisition of, investment in, or operational affiliation with a company or other assets. Please visit Broe on the web at www.broe.com.