Two Presentations at the International Hernia Congress Discuss Post-Surgical Pain Relief Following Open Hernia Surgery.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

LAKE FOREST, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 24, 2003

Studies Reveal Significant Benefits of ON-Q's Continuous Infusion Pump Following Open Inguinal Hernia Repair

I-Flow Corporation (NASDAQ: IFLO) today announced that the ON-Q(R) Post-Operative Pain Relief System was featured in two presentations at the International Hernia Congress' 2nd Annual Meeting, the joint conference of the American Hernia Society and the European Hernia Society, which provides a forum for herniology experts and other medical professionals to discuss the latest in clinical research findings. The presentations outlined the benefits of ON-Q in providing site-specific pain relief, specifically the decrease in the amount of narcotics used, as well as the absence of infection following hernia surgery.

"The ON-Q pump was found to be a superior option for pain relief for open inguinal hernia repair," said Karl A. LeBlanc, MD, MBA, of Surgical Specialty Group, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and former president of the American Hernia Society. "We saw a significant decrease in patients' pain as well as in the need for narcotics following surgery, even after the pump was finished. The results from this study prove the efficacy of ON-Q to provide post-operative pain relief following hernia repair."

The first study, conducted by Dr. LeBlanc, was presented as a poster titled, "Evaluation of a Continuous Infusion of 0.5% Marcaine via Elastomeric Pump for Postoperative Pain Management Following Open Inguinal Hernia Repair." In addition, Barry Sanchez, MD presented the clinical findings of Kenneth Waxman, MD of Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara, California. The podium presentation was based on the data from Waxman's study titled, "Local Anesthetic Infusion Pumps Improve Postoperative Pain After Inguinal Hernia Repair: A Randomized Study."

Each study, double-blinded and randomized, involved approximately 50 patients who underwent open inguinal hernia repairs. All patients involved in the studies received ON-Q, some received local anesthetic delivered to the surgical site while others received a placebo of saline.

"The data demonstrated that ON-Q provided significant relief in the pain experienced by patients following open hernia repairs," said Dr. Waxman. "We also found that there was no increase in the rate of infection with ON-Q."

I-Flow Corporation President and CEO, Donald M. Earhart said, "Post-operative pain is an important concern for many people undergoing surgery. The results of these two clinical studies prove that ON-Q provides patients with a better option for relieving their pain, while reducing the need for narcotics. One of our key priorities is to provide clinical evidence that supports ON-Q as a better alternative for relieving pain following hernia repair as well as other surgeries."

About ON-Q

The ON-Q(R) Post-Operative Pain Relief System provides targeted pain relief after surgery only where the body needs it, delivering a non-narcotic numbing medication directly to an incision site. ON-Q consists of a small, high-tech balloon pump that delivers local anesthetic, a pain-numbing medication, directly to the surgical site for up to five days. The anesthetic is administered through a tiny specially-designed tube (catheter) that's inserted by a surgeon during surgery. ON-Q is cleared for use by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

ON-Q can deliver narcotic-free pain relief for many surgeries, including: cesarean sections, hysterectomies, knee replacements, mastectomies, cardio-vascular/thoracic, foot and ankle surgeries and many cosmetic surgeries. A growing body of clinical information is becoming available for ON-Q for many different surgeries. For more information about ON-Q, visit www.askyoursurgeon.com or call 800-448-3569.

About I-Flow Corporation

I-Flow Corporation (www.i-flowcorp.com) designs, develops and markets technically advanced drug delivery systems that are redefining the standard of care by providing life enhancing, cost effective solutions for pain relief.

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