St. Jude Medical Announces First Implant and Launch of the SJM Tailor Annuloplasty Band for Heart Valve Repair.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) announced today the U.S. and European market launch of its new SJM Tailor(R) Annuloplasty Band for use in heart valve repair procedures.

The first implant of the SJM Tailor(R) Annuloplasty Band was performed at New York Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, New York City, New York, by Dr. Mehmet Oz, (Director of the Cardiovascular Institute) on a 68-year-old male diagnosed with mitral regurgitation. The patient is doing well and the device is performing as expected according to Dr. Oz.

"The Tailor band facilitates a smooth implantation," said Dr. Oz. "The band is convenient, versatile and provides a valuable addition to the SJM Tailor family."

The SJM Tailor(R) Band is a flexible partial ring, offering a convenient and time-saving alternative for surgeons who desire posterior annuloplasty support. It complements the SJM Tailor(R) Ring, which is designed for surgeons who usually implant full rings but like the option of customizing to a band, as well as the SJM(R) Seguin annuloplasty ring, for those physicians who prefer a semi-rigid alternative.

The SJM Tailor(R) Band is a flexible band that accommodates the natural movement of the mitral valve annulus, a supporting structure around the mitral valve leaflets. It can be used for repair of both mitral and tricuspid heart valves.

The SJM Flexible Annuloplasty Delivery System also makes the new band convenient and easy to implant, with a one-step, push-button release. The ergonomically designed handle quickly and securely attaches and detaches. The extension handle offers the option to implant using minimally invasive procedures. Malleable nitinol alloy sections of the holder handle and sizers are easily bent, yet revert to their original shape during heat sterilization.

"Our new SJM Tailor(R) Band, coupled with the SJM Tailor(R) and SJM(R) Seguin Rings, offer surgeons a wide range of options for repairing both mitral and tricuspid valves," said Jane J. Song, President of St. Jude Medical's Cardiac Surgery business. "Heart valve repair procedures are becoming an increasingly common treatment strategy. The SJM Tailor(R) Band offers an easy and convenient flexible option for surgeons who prefer to use partial rings to support their surgical correction of the mitral or tricuspid valve."

Any statements made regarding St. Jude Medical's anticipated future product launches, regulatory approvals, revenues, earnings, market shares, and potential clinical success are forward-looking statements which are subject to risks and uncertainties, such as those described in the Financial Section of the Company's Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003 (see pages 11-16). Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

St. Jude Medical, Inc. (www.sjm.com) is dedicated to the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative medical devices of the highest quality, offering physicians, patients and payers unmatched clinical performance and demonstrated economic value.