Heartport's Port-Access Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Reduces Recovery Time.

PAVIA, Italy--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 12, 1998--Heartport's (NASDAQ:HPRT) Port-Access(tm) minimally invasive cardiac surgery can be performed safely and effectively in a wide range of cardiac interventions and offers important patient benefits, according to a presentation by Professor Mario Vigano, Director of the Cattedra di Cardiochirurgia dell Universita di Pavia and the Division of Cardiac Surgery of the Policlinico "San Matteo" in Pavia, Italy, at the 19th annual joint meeting of the Italian Society of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery today.

"Our results are very encouraging and consistent with those presented by other groups from all over the world," said Prof. Vigano. "In our experience, Port-Access patients recover much sooner and can be discharged in two or three days, compared to one week with conventional surgery. Within three weeks, these patients return to normal activity such as driving a car."

Since November 1997, the Pavia team has performed more than 50 Port-Access procedures, ranging from complete coronary revascularization (multiple coronary artery bypass grafting), atrial septal defect closure, and mitral valve repair and replacement. In some cases, these were combined simultaneously with electrical isolation to cure atrial fibrillation.

The Port-Access technology enables cardiac surgeons to institute cardiopulmonary bypass and temporarily stop the patient's heart without splitting apart the breastbone, thereby allowing surgeons to perform a wide range of heart operations under the same conditions as traditional open-chest procedures, except through smaller incisions. Instead of opening the chest, specially-designed surgical instruments allow for all common cardiac surgical interventions through small (five to six centimetres) incisions between the ribs in a safe and efficient way.

"Arresting the heart and preserving the myocardium while the patient is on extracorporeal circulation is vital to permit complete manipulation of the heart and provide access to all areas without compromising the surgical treatment or precision required to guarantee optimal long-term results," Prof. Vigano said. "In the short-term, patients will benefit from the lower degree of surgical trauma and, in the long-term, they will benefit from the surgical precision this technique provides."

Professor Vigano expects that "the Port-Access technique will replace the traditional method in a large part of our cardiac interventions. In addition, this technology will pave the way to develop and introduce new computer-assisted surgical techniques, whereby cardiac surgeons operate with the assistance of video screens, which should benefit even more patients in the future."

He added that although the Port-Access approach may be less invasive than conventional open-chest heart surgery, it is still serious heart surgery with the potential for certain complications. Because some patients may not be candidates, patients should consult with their doctor to determine whether Port-Access minimally invasive cardiac surgery is appropriate for them.

The Division of Cardiac Surgery at the Policlinico "San Matteo" in Pavia is one of Italy's leading cardiac centers, performing more than 1,500 cases a year and offering a number of innovative treatments. The minimally invasive cardiac surgery experience in Pavia is unique for Italy since it combines the benefits of proven techniques such as cardiopulmonary bypass with methods to perform surgery through small incisions or "ports" to minimize surgical trauma to patients. This surgical group has the largest experience with Port-Access surgery in Italy.

CONTACT: Policlinico "San Matteo"

Dr. Gaetano Minzioni or

Dr. Patrizio Spreafico, + 39-382-503515

or

Heartport

Jim Weiss, 650/482-4430