News Release

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July 26, 2005 at 7:02 AM EDT

CONMED Reports Positive Second Quarter Results

                            - Sales Increase 21% -

           - Diluted Earnings Per Share (non-GAAP) Increases 10% -

             - Income From Operations (non-GAAP) Increases 12% -

                     - 12% Growth in Orthopaedic Sales -

                    - 10% Growth in Electrosurgery Sales -

                   - Conference Call Today at 10 a.m. EDT -

UTICA, N.Y., July 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CONMED Corporation (Nasdaq: CNMD) announced today its financial results for the second quarter of 2005.

Mr. Joseph J. Corasanti, President and Chief Operating Officer, commented, "CONMED Corporation delivered another quarter of strong top line growth driven primarily by the terrific sales performance of our Arthroscopy and Electrosurgery products, and the September 2004 acquisition of our Endoscopic Technologies product line. Our organic sales increase of 8.0% in the quarter, which excludes the effects of foreign currency conversion and acquisition revenues, exceeds our internal forecasts and is the highest rate of organic growth in the recent past."

Total sales for the second quarter increased 20.9% to $158.3 million ($156.4 million at constant exchange rates) compared to $130.9 million in the second quarter of 2004. The previously announced acquisition of the Endoscopic Technologies business on September 30, 2004 added $15.0 million to sales for the second quarter of 2005. Excluding acquisition and other charges (please see attached reconciliation for full explanation), non-GAAP net income for the second quarter grew 8.9% to $13.4 million compared to $12.3 million (GAAP) in the second quarter of 2004. Earnings per diluted share grew 9.8% to $0.45 (non-GAAP) compared to $0.41 (GAAP) in last year's second quarter. GAAP net income, including acquisition and transition charges, for the three months ended June 2005 was $10.5 million, or $0.35 per diluted share.

    Following is a summary of second quarter sales by product line in millions
of dollars:

                                           Three Months
                                            Ended June,            Percent
                                       2004            2005       Increase
    Orthopaedic Surgery
      Arthroscopy                     $48.0           $54.8         14.2%
      Powered Surgical Instruments     31.4            33.9          8.0%
                                       79.4            88.7         11.7%

    General Surgery and Patient Care
      Electrosurgery                   20.6            22.6          9.7%
      Patient Care                     18.4            19.1          3.8%
      Endosurgery                      12.5            12.9          3.2%
      Endoscopic Technologies             -            15.0             -
                                       51.5            69.6         35.1%

        Total                        $130.9          $158.3         20.9%

As in the last several quarters, the growth in the Arthroscopy product line continues to be led by sales of minimally-invasive surgery camera systems, which increased 29% over the second quarter of 2004. This growth is being driven by sales of the enhanced definition camera, introduced early in 2004, which has superior resolution capabilities. The quality of its image enables it to compete effectively for both arthroscopy applications and general surgical applications. Powered Surgical Instruments growth came from the Company's large bone products and also from the small bone handpiece PowerPro Max(R) introduced at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) conference in February of this year.

Electrosurgery's growth once again exceeded market growth rates led by sales of the Company's electrosurgical generators as well as single use products. Patient Care and Endosurgery experienced second quarter growth equivalent to market growth rates. The Endoscopic Technologies business sequentially improved its sales performance from the first quarter of 2005 and is performing as anticipated.

Compared to the second quarter of 2004, the Company's gross margin has improved to 53.0% versus 52.5%, excluding acquisition transition charges, as a result of the addition of the Endoscopic Technologies products, which have gross margins that are higher than CONMED's corporate average. Similarly, selling and administrative costs as a percentage of sales have increased compared to the second quarter of last year because sales and marketing costs of the Endoscopic Technologies business are higher than CONMED's corporate average. In addition, CONMED experienced increased expenses associated with the antitrust litigation and higher research and development costs. As a result of the higher sales base in the second quarter of 2005 compared to the same period in 2004, offset to some degree by the effects of the changes in the Company's expense profile discussed above, the Company's income from operations grew 12% to $24.0 million, excluding acquisition transition and unusual charges, compared to $21.5 million (GAAP) in the second quarter of 2004. On a GAAP basis, income from operations in the second quarter of 2005 was $19.6 million.

Six Month Results

For the six months ended June 30, 2005, CONMED reported revenues of $314.1 million, up 18.6% (17.2% excluding foreign currency) from the $264.9 million in the first six months of last year. Non-GAAP net income for the first six months of 2005 grew to $26.9 million, or $0.90 per diluted share, (excluding acquisition transition and other charges) compared to GAAP net income of $24.3 million, or $0.81 per diluted share, for the six months ended June 30, 2004. Including transition and other charges in the first six months of 2005, GAAP net income and EPS were $21.3 million and $0.71, respectively (please see attached schedule for full explanation of transition and other charges).

Following is a summary of the first six months of 2005 sales by product line in millions of dollars:

                                          Six Months
                                          Ended June,             Percent
                                      2004           2005         Increase
    Orthopaedic Surgery
      Arthroscopy                    $99.3          $108.8          9.6%
      Powered Surgical Instruments    64.9            69.4          6.9%
                                     164.2           178.2          8.5%

    General Surgery and Patient Care
      Electrosurgery                  40.8            43.5          6.6%
      Patient Care                    36.4            38.0          4.4%
      Endosurgery                     23.5            25.2          7.2%
      Endoscopic Technologies            -            29.2            -
                                     100.7           135.9         35.0%

        Total                       $264.9          $314.1         18.6%


    Outlook

Based on CONMED'S performance to date, management continues to believe that sales for all of 2005 will grow approximately 15% above 2004 levels. Approximately one-half of this total sales increase is expected to come from internal growth of our product lines and one-half is anticipated from the effect of the Endoscopic Technologies acquisition for the first nine months of 2005 until its revenues annualize in the fourth quarter of 2005. In addition, management continues to expect operating cash flow for 2005 to approximate $75 - $80 million and expects full year 2005 diluted earnings per share to be in a range of $1.84 - $1.89, excluding transition and other costs. This estimated range represents a slight reduction from previous Company guidance as a result of a number of matters including higher anticipated litigation costs associated with its action as a plaintiff against a competitor for believed antitrust actions, reduced expectations relative to currency exchange, and certain increased raw materials and distribution costs caused by higher petroleum prices.

Further, in order to realize various future product opportunities, management has concluded that a slight increase in research and development activities is in the best long-term interests of the Company. Accordingly, the Company will target research and development expense to approximate 4.0% - 4.5% of sales for the foreseeable future as compared to 3.5% - 4.0% in the recent past.

For the third quarter ended September 30, 2005, management anticipates that revenues will approximate $153 - $156 million and that diluted earnings per share will be in a range of $0.41 - $0.44, excluding transition and unusual charges.

Acquisition, and Other Charges

Acquisition -- The Company purchased the Endoscopic Technologies product line from C.R. Bard, Inc. on September 30, 2004, for a purchase price of approximately $80.0 million. As required by FASB 141, the Company has recorded the fair value of inventory acquired in the purchase transaction. Since the fair value of the inventory exceeds the manufacturing cost, as the initial inventory is sold, cost of sales is higher than what would normally have been the case. For the first six months of 2005, this added charge to cost of sales equaled $0.5 million. Further, during a transition period, CONMED is purchasing the Endoscopic Technologies finished goods from C.R. Bard at costs greater than what the Company expects its manufacturing costs will be once manufacturing is relocated to CONMED facilities. This difference in cost is estimated to be $1.8 million for the second quarter of 2005 and $3.6 million for the six months ended June, 2005, and has been recorded in cost of sales. The Company reaffirms that it expects the transition to extend into 2006 in order to permit an orderly transfer and to be sure that there is sufficient finished goods inventory on hand to meet customers' requirements.

Accordingly, the Company expects it will incur additional cost of sales amounts on a quarterly basis of $1.5 - $2.0 million until the transition can be completed. The Company continues to work closely with the C.R. Bard management to facilitate the transition of manufacturing to CONMED's locations.

Other unusual costs associated with the Endoscopic Technologies acquisition including compensation and other integration expenses amounted to $1.4 million for the second quarter of 2005 and $2.8 million for the first six months of 2005.

Cost associated with termination of a product -- CONMED has offered integrated operating room design and installation for over two years following the acquisition of the line in November 2002. One of the components of the system had been a proprietary brand of surgical lights distributed for a third-party supplier. As previously announced, in the fourth quarter of 2004 the Company concluded that it was a better use of resources to focus research and development efforts on integrated systems development and has ceased selling its own brand of surgical lights.

CONMED no longer services the installed base of lights purchased from the Company. In order to maintain customer relationships, and in fairness to customers who purchased lights from CONMED expecting that CONMED would maintain its high level of service, the Company initiated a program to replace all of its surgical lights currently in use. The Company expensed $0.4 million in the second quarter of 2005 and $0.9 million in the first half of 2005. It expects additional charges totaling approximately $1.0 million over the remainder of 2005 as the replacement program is completed.

Environmental settlement -- The Company has entered into a settlement of certain environmental claims relating to the operations of one of the Company's subsidiaries during the 1980s, before it was acquired by CONMED, at a site other than the one it currently occupies. The current owner alleged that the acquired subsidiary caused environmental contamination of the property. In order to avoid litigation, the Company agreed to reimburse the owner for a certain percentage of past remediation costs, and to participate in the funding of the remediation activities. The total sum of all past costs, including attorney's fees, together with the current estimate of future costs, amounts to approximately $0.7 million and has been recorded as an unusual charge in the quarter ended June 2005.

Today's Conference Call

CONMED will broadcast its second quarter 2005 conference call live over the Internet today at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. This broadcast can be accessed from CONMED's web site at http://www.conmed.com. Replays of the call will be made available through August 2, 2005.

CONMED Profile

CONMED is a medical technology company with an emphasis on surgical devices and equipment for minimally invasive procedures and monitoring. The Company's products serve the clinical areas of arthroscopy, powered surgical instruments, electrosurgery, cardiac monitoring disposables, endosurgery and endoscopic technologies. They are used by surgeons and physicians in a variety of specialties including orthopedics, general surgery, gynecology, neurosurgery, and gastroenterology. Headquartered in Utica, New York, the Company's 2,900 employees distribute its products worldwide from eleven manufacturing locations.

Forward Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on certain assumptions and contingencies that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and relate to the Company's performance on a going-forward basis. The forward-looking statements in this press release involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results, performance or trends, including the above mentioned anticipated revenues and earnings, to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements herein or in previous disclosures. The Company believes that all forward-looking statements made by it have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that management's expectations, beliefs or projections as expressed in the forward-looking statements will actually occur or prove to be correct. In addition to general industry and economic conditions, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to: (i) the failure of any one or more of the assumptions stated above, to prove to be correct; (ii) the risks relating to forward-looking statements discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004; (iii) cyclical purchasing patterns from customers, end-users and dealers; (iv) timely release of new products, and acceptance of such new products by the market; (v) the introduction of new products by competitors and other competitive responses; (vi) the possibility that any acquisition (and its integration) or other transaction may require the Company to reconsider its financial assumptions and goals/targets; and/or (vii) the Company's ability to devise and execute strategies to respond to market conditions.


                              CONMED CORPORATION
                      CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
                   (in thousands except per share amounts)
                                 (unaudited)

                           Three months ended          Six months ended
                                 June 30,                  June 30,
                            2004          2005         2004         2005

    Net sales             $130,912     $158,276     $264,876     $314,135

    Cost of sales           62,198       74,325      125,803      147,371
    Cost of sales,
     acquisition
     transition - Note A         -        1,827            -        4,165

    Gross profit            68,714       82,124      139,073      162,599

    Selling and
     administrative         42,409       53,559       86,202      106,091
    Research and
     development             4,836        6,375        9,575       12,224
    Other expense (income),
     net - Note B                -        2,576            -        4,476
                            47,245       62,510       95,777      122,791

    Income from operations  21,469       19,614       43,296       39,808

    Interest expense         2,558        3,571        5,864        7,330

    Income before income
     taxes                  18,911      16,043       37,432       32,478

    Provision for income
     taxes                   6,619        5,535       13,101       11,205

    Net income             $12,292      $10,508      $24,331      $21,273

    Per share data:

    Net Income
      Basic                   $.41         $.36         $.83         $.73
      Diluted                  .41          .35          .81          .71

    Weighted average
     common shares
      Basic                 29,649       29,494       29,476       29,301
      Diluted               30,313       30,060       30,151       29,830


    Note A - Included in cost of sales in the three and six months ended
             June 30, 2005 are approximately $1.8 million and $4.2 million,
             respectively, in acquisition-related costs.

    Note B - Included in other expense in the three months ended June 30, 2005
             are the following:  $0.7 million in environmental settlement
             costs, $0.4 million in costs related to the termination of a
             product offering and $1.4 million in acquisition-related costs.
             Included in other expense in the six months ended June 30, 2005
             are the following:  $0.7 million in environmental settlement
             costs, $0.9 million in costs related to the termination of a
             product offering and $2.8 million in acquisition-related costs.


                              CONMED CORPORATION
                    CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED  BALANCE SHEETS
                                (in thousands)
                                 (unaudited)

                                    ASSETS

                                                 December 31,       June 30,
                                                        2004           2005
    Current assets:
      Cash and cash equivalents                       $4,189         $6,506
      Accounts receivable, net                        74,593         76,552
      Inventories                                    127,935        142,055
      Deferred income taxes                           13,733         13,662
      Other current assets                             2,492          3,321
        Total current assets                         222,942        242,096
    Property, plant and equipment, net.              101,465        102,460
    Goodwill and other intangible assets, net        529,717        528,628
    Other assets                                      18,701         18,620
        Total assets                                $872,825       $891,804

                     LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

    Current liabilities:
      Current portion of long-term debt               $4,037         $4,121
      Other current liabilities                       59,024         60,746
        Total current liabilities                     63,061         64,867
    Long-term debt                                   290,485        269,422
    Deferred income taxes                             51,433         58,798
    Other long-term liabilities                       19,863         22,958
        Total liabilities                            424,842        416,045

    Shareholders' equity:
      Capital accounts                               226,444        235,649
      Retained earnings                              227,938        249,211
      Accumulated other comprehensive loss            (6,399)        (9,101)
        Total equity                                 447,983        475,759

        Total liabilities and shareholders'
         equity                                     $872,825       $891,804


                              CONMED CORPORATION
                CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
                                (in thousands)
                                 (unaudited)

                                                        Six months ended
                                                            June 30,
                                                       2004           2005
    Cash flows from operating activities:
    Net income                                       $24,331        $21,273
    Adjustments to reconcile net income
     to net cash provided by operating activities:
      Depreciation and amortization                   13,036         15,282
      Deferred income taxes                            8,586          7,365
      Sale of accounts receivable                      2,000         (3,000)
      Other, net                                      (2,236)       (11,025)
    Net cash provided by operating activities         45,717         29,895

    Cash flow from investing activities:
      Purchases of property, plant, and equipment     (4,338)        (8,098)
      Other, net                                           -           (364)
    Net cash used in investing activities             (4,338)        (8,462)

    Cash flow from financing activities:
      Payments on debt                               (24,204)       (28,979)
      Proceeds of debt                                     -          8,000
      Proceeds from common stock issued under
       employee plans                                  9,010         13,020
      Repurchase of common stock                           -         (7,759)
      Other, net                                        (318)          (396)
    Net cash provided by financing activities        (15,512)       (16,114)

    Effect of exchange rate change on cash and
     cash equivalents                                 (1,650)        (3,002)

    Net increase in cash and cash equivalents         24,217          2,317

    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period   5,986          4,189

    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period       $30,203         $6,506


                              CONMED CORPORATION
             RECONCILIATION OF REPORTED NET INCOME TO NET INCOME
                             BEFORE UNUSUAL ITEMS
                   (In thousands except per share amounts)
                                 (unaudited)

                                                         Three months ended
                                                             June 30,
                                                       2004           2005

    Reported net income                              $12,292        $10,508

    Acquisition-related costs included in cost
     of sales                                              -          1,827

    Environmental settlement costs                         -            698

    Termination of product offering                        -            429

    Other acquisition-related costs                        -          1,449

        Total other expense                                -          2,576

    Unusual expense before income taxes                    -          4,403

    Provision (benefit) for income taxes on
     unusual expense                                       -         (1,519)

    Net income before unusual items.                 $12,292        $13,392

    Per share data:

    Reported net income (loss)
      Basic                                            $0.41          $0.36
      Diluted                                           0.41           0.35

    Net income before unusual items
      Basic                                            $0.41          $0.45
      Diluted                                           0.41           0.45

Management has provided the above reconciliation of net income before unusual items as an additional measure that investors can use to compare operating performance between reporting periods. Management believes this reconciliation provides a useful presentation of operating performance.


                              CONMED CORPORATION
             RECONCILIATION OF REPORTED NET INCOME TO NET INCOME
                             BEFORE UNUSUAL ITEMS
                   (In thousands except per share amounts)
                                 (unaudited)

                                                       Six months ended
                                                            June 30,
                                                      2004            2005

    Reported net income                              $24,331        $21,273

    Acquisition-related costs included in cost
     of sales                                              -          4,165

    Environmental settlement costs                         -            698

    Termination of product offering                        -            949

    Other acquisition-related costs                        -          2,829

       Total other expense                                 -          4,476

    Unusual expense before income taxes                    -          8,641

    Provision (benefit) for income taxes on unusual
     expense                                               -         (2,981)

    Net income before unusual items                  $24,331        $26,933

    Per share data:

    Reported net income
      Basic                                            $0.83          $0.73
      Diluted                                           0.81           0.71

    Net income before unusual items
      Basic                                            $0.83          $0.92
      Diluted                                           0.81           0.90

Management has provided the above reconciliation of net income before unusual items as an additional measure that investors can use to compare operating performance between reporting periods. Management believes this reconciliation provides a useful presentation of operating performance.

SOURCE  CONMED Corporation
    -0-                             07/26/2005
    /CONTACT:  Robert Shallish, Chief Financial Officer of CONMED Corporation,
+1-315-624-3206; or Investors: Julie Huang or Theresa Kelleher, or Media: Sean
Leous, all of Financial Dynamics, +1-212-850-5600/
    /Web site:  http://www.conmed.com /
    (CNMD)

CO:  CONMED Corporation
ST:  New York
IN:  HEA MTC BIO
SU:  ERN ERP CCA

AS
-- NYTU042 --
8039 07/26/2005 07:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com