Andres Garcia's E.D. Solution Draws Mexican Surgeons to Los Angeles for Training Course; Monterey Park Hospital Urologist to Perform Five Surgeries in One Day.

MONTEREY PARK, Calif. -- Eight surgeons from Mexico traveled to Los Angeles today for a unique course being offered by J. Antonio Alarcon, M.D., urologist and U.S. pioneer of penile implant technology for men suffering from erectile dysfunction (E.D.).

The enormous population of men who, due to diabetes, prostate cancer and other conditions, are impotent can sometimes function with help from drugs such as Viagra, Levitra and Cialis. But for the millions of men for whom the drugs don't work, Alarcon and his peers are offering new hope in the form of an inflatable prosthesis -- hope that the visiting Mexican physicians plan to offer to their patients south of the border.

Endorsed by Mexican TV and screen actor Andres Garcia, the Mentor Titan Inflatable Penile Prosthesis, which the actor had implanted after his prostate cancer surgery, has become much in demand among Hispanic men. The actor has been publicly open about the effects of prostate cancer surgery, which left him impotent. His candid and frequent commentary on television about the implant, which he affectionately calls "La Bombita" (little pump), has boosted demand for the procedure and triggered a call for training courses for Mexican urologists. Alarcon's is the first such course.

The surgical implant, developed by Santa Barbara, Calif.-based medical device company Mentor Corporation, works by implanting two cylinders in the penis, a pump in the scrotum and a reservoir in the abdomen filled with saline solution. The user inflates the cylinders to create an erection and deflates it after intercourse. This is usually an outpatient procedure and in many cases covered by Medicare and private insurance.

Alarcon, a Hispanic urologist based at Monterey Park Hospital, is a leading proponent of the technology and has performed more than 500 such procedures. Monterey Park Hospital has long championed innovative urological procedures and is considered to be a center of excellence for treatment of E.D. -- especially in the Hispanic community.

To benefit the visiting surgeons, Alarcon arranged to perform five implant surgeries on Tuesday, March 28th. "We've done this procedure so many times now," said Alarcon, "we have very consistent outcomes and it only takes about 45 minutes per patient." In addition to observing the five surgeries, the Mexican surgeons will observe a patient education seminar conducted by Alarcon and his staff, focused on preparing the men for the procedure.

"This is a great day for men suffering from E.D.," said Alarcon. "We're teaching a procedure that enables doctors to restore something deeply important to these men's lives. Impotence is a serious side effect of prostate cancer surgery and diabetes. This procedure and technology allows patients to function intimately again. With Andres Garcia's commentary seen so often on Spanish-language television about the success of his procedure, we've had many surgeons from Mexico and South America asking to learn the technique for their patients. It's exciting to be sharing innovative technology with our colleagues from across the border. I look forward to future, similar courses where we'll travel down to Mexico and work with more urologists there."

"I'm not shy about this," said Garcia, who regularly appears in the Spanish media. "And I aim to encourage my fellow men to seek help if their erectile dysfunction doesn't respond to prescription medications. Prior to receiving my implant, I couldn't function at all. Now that I have a workable solution to a personal problem, I feel it's my duty, in a sense, to share it with others!"

In addition to the international training courses, Mentor Corp. has also been running a direct-to-consumer advertising campaign featuring Garcia and airing in key Hispanic markets throughout the U.S. The campaign has elicited an overwhelming response, further boosting interest in the implants.

Media: For more information about the procedure or the technology, or to arrange interviews with Alarcon, the visiting Mexican doctors or a patient of Alarcon's, please contact Paul Williams at 310-937-2009 or via [e-mail].