Gore & Associates to Exit the Plastic Surgery Market

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. (Gore) today announced that it will no longer sell or market products in the plastic surgery market. This action is limited to all of the GORE Subcutaneous Augmentation Material (GORE S.A.M.) products including TRIMENSIONAL 3-D implant extended chin, nasal dorsum and malar, sheets, sutures for plastic surgery applications, facial slings and strands.

“This decision was made after careful consideration of our ability to continue to create and deliver value in this market”

“This decision was made after careful consideration of our ability to continue to create and deliver value in this market,” stated Dick Winkelmayer, Business Associate. “Our strategic focus will be in the cardiovascular and general surgical specialties. The plastic surgery business is no longer core to our future business strategy.”

To ensure that customers have sufficient time to consult with their healthcare teams and transition to alternative products, Gore will take orders until the end of the calendar year 2006. GORE S.A.M. orders will be shipped through April 2007, subject to inventory availability.

The Gore Medical Products Division has provided creative therapeutic solutions to complex medical problems for over three decades. During that time, more than 18 million innovative Gore Medical Devices have been implanted, saving and improving the quality of lives worldwide. The extensive Gore Medical family of products includes vascular grafts, endovascular and interventional devices, surgical meshes for hernia repair and sutures for use in vascular, cardiac and general surgery.

GORE and TRIMENSIONAL are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates.