Kips Bay Medical Announces the First eSVS(R) Mesh Implant in Warsaw Poland

MINNEAPOLIS, April 21, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Manny Villafaña, Chairman and CEO of Kips Bay Medical Inc. (Nasdaq:KIPS), announced that on April 12, 2014, the first commercial implant of an eSVS Mesh was performed at the Military Institute of Medicine in Warsaw, Poland. This implant was performed under the direction of Cardiac Surgery Department Head Dr. Piotr Hendzel MD, Ph.D., and the presiding surgeon in the case was Dr. Grzegorz Suwalski MD PhD. Dr. Suwalski commented "I was very pleased with how easily the eSVS Mesh was applied to the vein graft and I believe that the eSVS Mesh technology represents a new tool for cardiac surgeons that has the potential to significantly improve the long-term outcomes for cardiac bypass surgery patients."

About the eSVS Mesh

The eSVS Mesh is designed to be fitted like a sleeve on the outside of saphenous vein grafts to strengthen SVGs used in coronary artery bypass graft surgery. By strengthening the SVG and preventing the damaging expansion of the vein graft, the Company hopes to reduce or prevent the resulting injury which can lead to SVG failure and potentially costly and complicated re-interventions for patients undergoing CABG surgery. To strengthen an SVG, the eSVS Mesh is manufactured from nitinol wire which gives the eSVS Mesh considerable strength, while remaining highly flexible and kink-resistant. Kips Bay is currently conducting a feasibility trial for the FDA, the objective of which is to demonstrate the initial safety and performance of the eSVS Mesh. Additional information about the eSVS Mesh and the Company's feasibility trial are available at the Company's website at www.KipsBayMedical.com and in the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

About the Military Institute of Medicine

Military Institute of Medicine is one of the largest hospitals, with more than 1,000 beds, and possesses the most advanced research and educational resources in Poland. There are 31 departments within the complex, covering all disciplines of medicine. Yearly there are more than 60,000 patients treated at the hospital. Military Institute of Medicine is a place for research, continuation of professional development, access to the modern diagnostic tools and opportunities for extensive experience and participation in international projects. This institution maintains the highest standards and its reputation of excellence, a fact that guarantees efficient recruitment of subjects and resources in accordance with study protocols.

About Kips Bay Medical

Kips Bay Medical, Inc. is a medical device company focused on manufacturing and commercializing its external saphenous vein support technology, the eSVS Mesh, for use in coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. Kips Bay originally acquired the eSVS Mesh technology from Medtronic, Inc. in 2007. Additional information about Kips Bay is available at the Company's website at www.KipsBayMedical.com.

CONTACT: Kips Bay Medical, Inc.
         Manny Villafana
         Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
         [phone]
         Email: [e-mail]
         or
         Scott Kellen
         Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer
         [phone]
         Email: [e-mail]

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Source: Kips Bay Medical via Globenewswire

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