MONROVIA, Calif., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- STAAR Surgical Company (Nasdaq: STAA), a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of minimally invasive ophthalmic products, today announced that it has appointed Deborah Andrews as its new Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Andrews has served as the interim Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer since April 2005 and has been a member of the financial reporting team at STAAR Surgical for more than 10 years.

"For the past 10 years, Deborah has been the driver behind improvements in financial reporting and internal controls and has an in-depth understanding of our global operational infrastructure. Since her appointment as our Principal Accounting Officer and interim CFO, Deborah has successfully implemented cost-cutting strategies, which have had a very positive impact on our quarterly cash usage. During the second quarter of 2005, these programs reduced the cash used in operating activities by $1.2 million compared with the first quarter of 2005 and by $400,000 compared with the second quarter of last year. We believe that Deborah's extensive financial and operational background will continue to be critical to the success of the STAAR Surgical organization and we are very pleased that she has accepted this new leadership role," said David Bailey, President and CEO of STAAR Surgical.

Prior to becoming the CFO at STAAR Surgical, Ms. Andrews, age 47, served in a variety of financial management positions of escalating responsibility within the Company. As mentioned previously, Ms. Andrews has been interim CFO and Principal Accounting Officer, as well as Vice President, since April 2005. From 2001 to 2005, Ms. Andrews was the Company's Global Controller, and from 1999 to 2001, she was the Vice President, Finance of STAAR Surgical AG (Switzerland). Ms. Andrews began her tenure at STAAR Surgical as the Assistant Controller. Before joining STAAR Surgical, Ms. Andrews was an internal auditor for Bourns, Inc., a maker of electronic components, and she began her career in finance as an auditor for KPMG Peat Marwick.

Ms. Andrews earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from California State University, San Bernardino.

About STAAR Surgical

STAAR Surgical is a leader in the development, manufacture and marketing of minimally invasive ophthalmic products employing proprietary technologies. STAAR's products are used by ophthalmic surgeons and include the revolutionary VISIAN ICL(TM) as well as innovative products designed to improve patient outcomes for cataracts and glaucoma. STAAR's ICL has received CE Marking, is approved for sale in 41 countries and has been implanted in more than 40,000 eyes worldwide. STAAR's application to market the ICL in the United States is currently under review and has not yet received final approval.

Safe Harbor

All statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including any projections of earnings, revenue, cash or other financial items, any statements of the plans, strategies, and objectives of management for future operations, any statements concerning proposed new products and government approval of new products, services or developments, any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance, statements of belief and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. These statements are based on expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties include the outcome of our proceedings with the FDA Office of Compliance, which could result in restrictions on our ability to continue our business as well as harm to our reputation and stock price, our ability to implement our cost savings strategies and realize our expected savings, our limited capital resources, the success of our efforts in realigning our management team, our ability to reverse the decline in domestic sales of IOLs, market acceptance of our redesigned three-piece Collamer IOL and insertion system, our ability to maintain or enhance our existing product sales and gross profit margin and reduce compliance expenditures, the need to obtain regulatory approval for new products, acceptance of new products by medical practitioners and consumers, the rapid pace of technological change in the ophthalmic industry, our ability to compete with much larger ophthalmic companies, general domestic and international economic conditions, access to financing and other factors beyond our control, including those detailed from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. STAAR assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or actual outcomes and does not intend to do so.

Contact: investors, +1-415-896-6820, Douglas Sherk, or Jennifer Beugelmans, or media, Steve DiMattia, +1-646-277-8706, all of EVC Group, for STAAR Surgical.

SOURCE  STAAR Surgical Company
    -0-                             08/02/2005
    /CONTACT:  investors, +1-415-896-6820, Douglas Sherk, or Jennifer
Beugelmans, or media, Steve DiMattia, +1-646-277-8706, all of EVC Group, for
STAAR Surgical/
    /Web site:  http://www.staar.com/
    (STAA)

CO:  STAAR Surgical Company
ST:  California
IN:  HEA MTC
SU:  PER

JL-JB
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3108 08/02/2005 06:30 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com