HydroCision Announces the Release of the VersaJet™ Hydrosurgery System for Surgical Debridement

ANDOVER, Mass., February 4, 2003 – HydroCision, Inc. (www.hydrocision.com) today announced the release of its VersaJet™ Hydrosurgery System in the United States. The VersaJet system provides physicians with a single device to perform surgical debridement by combining the functions of lavage and sharp instruments. The VersaJet system enables the surgeon to simultaneously hold, cut, and remove damaged tissue and contaminants precisely – without the collateral trauma associated with current surgical modalities. Debridement of traumatic wounds, chronic wounds, and other soft tissue lesions is achieved in a single step, with a single instrument, and single-handedly, while sparing healthy tissue and promoting the healing process. HydroCision estimates that there are approximately 4.4 million surgical debridement procedures performed each year in the US and over 10 million worldwide.

“The launch of the VersaJet represents a major milestone for our company,” commented Doug Daniels, President of HydroCision, Inc. “We have been working diligently to develop this product, including clinical testing in over 100 cases. The feedback we have received from the orthopaedic traumatologists, general trauma surgeons and plastic surgeons who have evaluated it has been overwhelmingly positive. The VersaJet Hydrosurgery System provides a unique solution to the need for a better way to debride wounds that is safe, easy-to-use, and fast.”

Dr. Lawrence X. Webb, Director of Orthopaedic Traumatology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center who has used the VersaJet during the testing phase remarked, “The VersaJet has changed the way I approach open fractures because it lets me more thoroughly clean the wound of non-viable tissue and contamination. If I can do that, then I can fix the fracture faster and with fewer trips back to the operating room. This is an attractive technique to me as a surgeon, brings benefit to the patient, and also is a viable approach for the hospital with today’s cost challenges.”
HydroCision plans to expand distribution of the VersaJet Hydrosurgery System to Europe in the first quarter of 2003.

About HydroCision

HydroCision is the leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of fluidjet-based surgical tools that are the foundation of a new surgical modality – ‘hydrosurgery’. Hydrosurgery improves patient care by selectively removing tissue, minimizing collateral damage and bleeding, and promoting the healing process. HydroCision believes its proprietary fluidjet technology is the basis of a new surgical modality because of its compelling features and versatility. Incorporated in 1996, the company continues to develop a broad range of fluidjet-based devices to meet the needs of multiple specialties.

HydroCision is a registered trademark of HydroCision, Inc. VersaJet and The Leader in Hydrosurgery are trademarks of HydroCision, Inc.