Computer Motion Announces Six-Month Follow-up of World's First Robotic Closed-Chest, Beating Heart Bypass Patient.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 2, 2000

The ZEUS Robotic Surgical System(TM) Used to Perform a Series

of Endoscopic, Off-pump Heart Bypass Surgeries Through

Pencil-sized Incisions, Providing a Truly Minimally

Invasive Left Ventricular Revascularization

At the 80th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Thoracic Surgery, Computer Motion Inc. (Nasdaq:RBOT), the leader in medical robotics, today announced the six-month follow-up of the world's first robotic closed-chest, beating heart bypass patient, as well as the successful completion of a series of seven totally robotic endoscopic, beating heart bypass surgeries performed at London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ontario, Canada.

This ground-breaking minimally invasive cardiac series was performed with the Computer Motion ZEUS(TM) Robotic Surgical System and eliminated the two greatest sources of patient trauma associated with conventional open heart surgery: the large incision and the heart lung machine.

Douglas Boyd, MD, BSc, FRCS(C), director of the Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Program of the London Health Sciences Centre and Professor at the University of Western Ontario, performed a beating heart, endoscopic coronary artery bypass graft (E-CABG(TM)) on seven patients suffering from left anterior descending coronary artery disease.

Boyd stated: "This is the primary coronary artery that supplies blood to the left ventricle, the most important chamber of the heart. I am happy to report that all patients reportedly returned to work in less than a week and remain angina free at follow-up, ranging from two weeks to six months. The most compelling aspect of this minimally invasive approach to heart bypass is the significant patient benefits realized."

John Penner, the world's first endoscopic, beating heart coronary bypass patient, concurred: "I entered the intensive care unit two days after my wardmate who had a conventional open heart bypass; however, we left on the same day. I walked out on my own accord and without any pharmaceuticals. He was on medication and had to be taken out in a wheelchair. I looked over at him and then back at myself. I knew that I had been a part of a special experience -- a part of history in the making -- and I felt grateful."

Penner is a dairy farmer who says he would have had to sell the dairy herd if forced to receive a conventional bypass operation. As a result of Boyd's pioneering approach, Penner was back working on the farm within a week, and is now able to enjoy the some of the finer moments in life, such as ice-skating with his grandson.

Boyd also performed a beating heart E-CABG on Bill Baker, owner of a thriving Web design firm, last November.

. Baker commented: "With the breakneck pace of the Internet industry, I cannot afford to miss a beat; however, I did not think I would have an option when I found out I needed a bypass operation. But, thanks to the ZEUS System, my wife was able to drop me off at the office on the way home from the hospital, just three days after my surgery."

Boyd added: "My last patient was a 36-year-old male with a 5-month-old baby and a mortgage payment. The only way he was able to keep his house was to have a beating heart E-CABG procedure with the ZEUS System. As a homeowner, he did not qualify for any government assistance and had exceeded his medical benefits, so he needed a treatment option with an extremely rapid recovery rate. The patient actually requested to be discharged from the hospital 44 hours after his surgery, as he reported no direct pain from the procedure."

"The unique compact design of the ZEUS System allowed an assistant to support the surgeon, which is critical for success in a beating heart procedure," said Boyd. "The ZEUS System also provided me the control and precision necessary to complete the entire procedure off-pump through a few surgical ports. The impact on the patient is delivering a long-term anastomosis patency with the invasiveness of an interventional stent."

Robert W. Duggan, chairman and CEO of Computer Motion, said: "The results of Dr. Boyd's series further demonstrates that the integration of computer and robotic systems into cardiac surgery provides significant benefits to both surgeon and patient. Now with the ZEUS System, the surgeon can perform a new class of high-quality microsurgery, while reducing patient pain, risk of neurological complications, recovery periods and health-care costs.

"Computer Motion is pleased to be working with the world's leading cardiac centers to make this minimally invasive opportunity a reality for all patients requiring coronary revascularization."

Computer Motion, the world leader in medical robotics, is creating the cornerstone technologies and products for the Intelligent Operating Room(TM). The company develops, manufactures and markets proprietary computer-enhanced and robotic surgical systems, which enhance surgeons' capabilities, improve outcomes and reduce costs.

Computer Motion's products include the voice-controlled AESOP(R) endoscope positioning system; the HERMES(TM) Control Center, a centralized system which enables the surgeon to voice control a network of "smart" medical devices; and the ZEUS(TM) Robotic Surgical System for new minimally invasive microsurgery procedures, such as endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting (E-CABG(TM)).

ZEUS is CE-Marked for commercial sale in the European Community, and the company has completed an FDA-approved Phase 1 Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) study with ZEUS. Computer Motion and Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) are co-marketing the ZEUS System. The company's Web site is www.ComputerMotion.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements concerning the company's business and products. Actual results may differ materially depending on a number of risk factors, including the risks of competition and competing technologies, duration or suspension of clinical studies, regulatory clearances and approvals, and physician, hospital and payor acceptance of the company's products. These factors and other risks inherent in the company's business are described from time to time in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K. The company undertakes no obligation to revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.