Bausch & Lomb Conducts 1999 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 27, 1999--

Bausch & Lomb (NYSE:BOL) has moved beyond its restructuring phase to emerge as the preeminent technology-based healthcare company for the eye, with innovative products and capabilities that will allow it to lead the way in how the world sees, Chairman and CEO William M. Carpenter told shareholders at the company's annual meeting in St. Louis today.

"Our future lies in capitalizing on the tremendous synergies that exist across our eye-care businesses of vision care, pharmaceuticals and ophthalmic surgery," said Carpenter. "Individually, each of these businesses has a remarkably strong position in today's most attractive eye-care categories. Together, they give Bausch & Lomb unique advantages in leading the global eye-care market."

Carpenter reviewed three areas of opportunity where synergies across the company's core businesses can be leveraged to competitive advantage:

-- Bausch & Lomb has the broadest and most innovative product line

of eye-care products of any company in the world, with a global

presence that is unsurpassed among eye-care competitors. This

provides the opportunity to be a `one-stop' source for eye-care

products, with offerings to meet the needs of any market.

-- Bausch & Lomb has the volume and critical mass in its core

businesses that allow it to leverage manufacturing capacity and

reduce overhead, thus freeing up resources to invest in growing

its businesses.

-- Bausch & Lomb has the core competencies and skills to lead the

way as the experts in eye care by sharing the common elements in

manufacturing platforms, common technical skills, and the

expertise of its people to ensure that every dollar the company

invests is used to the best advantage.

Carpenter also reviewed for shareholders Bausch & Lomb's priority initiatives for 1999, including ensuring the synergistic capabilities of the organization are leveraged for competitive advantage, successfully launching key new products in each of its core businesses, continuing to drive the successful integration of its surgical business; and making significant progress in the realignment of its business portfolio.

Carpenter concluded his remarks by noting that 1999 is off to a promising start and expressing confidence in Bausch & Lomb's ability to continue its progress and bring real value to its owners.

In the business portion of the meeting, shareholders re-elected current directors Jonathan S. Linen, John R. Purcell, Alvin W. Trivelpiece, Ph.D., and William H. Waltrip. Shareholders also ratified the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as independent accountants for 1999.

Investor Relations Contact: Angela Panzarella 716-338-6025 office

Editors' Note: The complete text of Mr. Carpenter's remarks is available on request by calling 716/338-8064.

This press release contains, among other things, certain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events or the future business performance of Bausch & Lomb. Such statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties including those concerning economic conditions, currency exchange rates, product development and introduction, the financial well-being of key customers, the successful execution of marketing strategies, the continued successful implementation of the restructuring effort in reducing costs and expenses of manufacturing processes and administrative functions, as well as the risk factors listed from time to time in the company's SEC filings, including but not limited to the Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 26, 1998.

Bausch & Lomb Incorporated is a global technology-based healthcare company for the eye, dedicated to helping consumers see, look and feel better through innovative technology and design. Its core businesses include soft and rigid gas permeable contact lenses, lens-care products, ophthalmic surgical and pharmaceutical products. The company is advantaged with some of the most respected brands in the world starting with its name, Bausch & Lomb(R), and including SofLens66(TM), Boston(R), ReNu(R), and Storz(R). Founded in 1853 in Rochester, N.Y., where it continues to have its headquarters, the company has annual revenues of more than $2 billion and employs approximately 15,000 people in 35 countries. Bausch & Lomb products are available in more than 100 countries around the world.