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AGA Medical Corporation Partners With Professional Football Player Tedy Bruschi for National Stroke Awareness Program

Posted on: Thursday, 18 December 2008, 16:27 CST

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- AGA Medical Corporation announced today the launch of a stroke awareness initiative in partnership with Tedy Bruschi, a professional football player who suffered a stroke in February 2005. The unique partnership will foster a series of educational programs dedicated to stroke awareness and prevention.

"Prior to my stroke, I had no knowledge of stroke risk factors," said Tedy Bruschi. "I was able to bounce back from my adversity because of the immense medical and emotional support I received during my recovery period. I wasn't aware of the stroke warning signs and I want others to benefit from what I went through. That is why I look forward to partnering with AGA Medical to raise awareness of stroke."

Stroke, defined as a sudden injury to the brain caused by a blood vessel bursting or becoming blocked, is the nation's number 3 cause of death behind heart disease and cancer. The American Heart Association reports that each year, about 700,000 Americans suffer from a stroke. One-third of stroke victims are under 65, and even children can suffer a stroke.

"We are proud to partner with Tedy to develop a comprehensive stroke awareness and education effort," said John Barr, chief executive officer of AGA Medical. "Tedy's motivation to succeed in spite of his hardship serves as an inspiration to stroke survivors, and we are excited to direct our combined efforts toward raising awareness of this life-threatening disease."

About Tedy Bruschi

Coming off the success of winning his third league championship and playing in the annual league all-star game in February of 2005, Tedy unexpectedly experienced a stroke. On the advice of his physician, a device from AGA Medical was prescribed and implanted as part of Tedy's treatment. After several months of extensive rehabilitation and recovery, Tedy was medically cleared to resume playing football less than a year later. Today, in addition to his continued success on the field, Tedy dedicates a considerable part of his time off the field toward raising stroke awareness and funds for stroke research.

To learn more about Tedy and the warning signs of stroke, visit http://www.amplatzer.com/strokeawareness.

Clinical Trial Underway

AGA Medical is currently conducting a multicenter, randomized clinical study, known as the RESPECT trial, to investigate whether closure of a congential heart defect using an AGA Medical device is superior to current standard of care treatment in the prevention of a particular type of stroke. For more information on the clinical trial and the warning signs of stroke, visit http://www.amplatzer.com.

About AGA Medical Corporation

AGA Medical Corporation, based in Plymouth, Minnesota, is a leader in developing interventional devices for the minimally invasive treatment of cardiovascular defects and peripheral vascular disease. Founded in 1995 by Dr. Kurt Amplatz, a former professor and researcher at the University of Minnesota Department of Radiology, AGA Medical develops and commercializes devices for a range of structural heart repair and circulatory conditions. Several of these devices have been major innovations in the treatment of the most common congenital "holes in the heart", such as atrial septal defects and patent foramen ovales.

More than 700 articles have been published in medical literature that support the benefits of AGA Medical devices, including improved patient outcomes, reduced length of stay, and accelerated recovery times for the patient. AGA Medical devices have received regulatory approval and are marketed in 101 countries. For more information, visit http://www.amplatzer.com.

SOURCE AGA Medical Corporation

Source: PR Newswire

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