SAN DIEGO, Dec. 5, 2006 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Viking Systems, Inc. (OTCBB:VKSY), a designer, manufacturer and marketer of 3-D vision systems for use in minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures, has announced that Hoag Hospital, Newport Beach, California, has purchased multiple Viking 3Di Digital Vision Systems for use in the hospital's Women's Center operating rooms. Hoag Hospital intends to use this newly acquired technology to offer patients 3-D minimally invasive surgery (MIS), one of the first hospitals to do so in the region.
Senior Vice President for Commercial Operations at Viking Systems, Lonna J. Williams states, "As minimally invasive surgery continues to grow in prevalence and patient preference, it is important that hospitals adopt the types of advanced technologies that make this trend more feasible. Gynecological surgeons at Hoag performing MIS cases immediately recognized the added clinical value 3-D vision provides them. 3-D technology allows laparoscopic surgeons the opportunity to restore their natural vision, facilitate depth cues and maximize dexterity; benefits which translate into a higher standard of care for those patients who are fortunate to benefit from it."
Hoag Hospital, often regarded as one of the top medical facilities in Southern California, also stands as one of the most technologically advanced in the region. This commitment to advancement motivated Hoag to implement Viking's 3-D visualization technology in multiple minimally invasive operating rooms. Cost effectiveness and OR efficiencies prompted surgeons and administration to seek out Viking as a cost-effective 3-D vision system. Hoag patients undergoing MIS surgery now have the opportunity to benefit from the clinical impact of 3-D visualization, thereby making Hoag one of the first medical centers offering 3-D minimally invasive surgery in Southern California.
About Viking Systems, Inc.
Viking Systems, Inc. is a designer, manufacturer and marketer of FDA-cleared, CE-marked, high-performance laparoscopic vision systems. The Company's primary branded product is the Viking 3Di Digital Vision System, an advanced three-dimensional (3-D) vision system used by surgeons for complex minimally invasive surgery, with an initial focus on applications in urology, gynecology, bariatrics and general surgery. Viking also manufactures advanced two-dimensional (2-D) Viking 2Di Digital Vision Systems for targeted configurations and channels, as well as 2-D cameras and components, sold through strategic partner and OEM programs.
About Hoag Hospital
Fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and designated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian is a 511-bed acute care, not-for-profit hospital that provides advanced medical programs in many specialties as well as five renowned centers of excellence: Hoag Cancer Center, Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute, Hoag Neuroscience Institute, Hoag Orthopedic Services and Hoag Women's Health Services.
Hoag Hospital's quality is endorsed by several healthcare industry organizations and continually recognized on local, regional and national levels. A National Research Corporation Consumer Choice Award endorses Hoag as Orange County's most preferred hospital based on overall quality of health care services and places Hoag in the top five percent of hospitals nationwide. And in a local newspaper survey, Orange County residents have named Hoag the county's top hospital for nine consecutive years.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release includes forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, our ability to execute on our business plan during 2006 and beyond, our strategic planning and business development plans, our future financing needs, impacts on our financial results, and our future growth. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, our ability to market our products, the success of business development efforts, competition in the industry, and our ability to manage growth, as well as the risks and other factors set forth in our periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 2005 and our Form 10-QSB for the quarter ended September 30, 2006.)