Wells Fargo Bank Secured Line of Credit Up to $3 Million

MONROVIA, Calif., May 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- STAAR Surgical Company (Nasdaq: STAA), a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of minimally invasive ophthalmic products, today announced that it has signed a commitment letter with Wells Fargo Bank providing for a secured revolving line of credit totaling up to $3 million for a term of three years. The line of credit can be utilized to fund ongoing working capital needs. The line of credit is subject to the execution of final agreements, which STAAR expects to take place in early May.

"This new line of credit will further strengthen our financial flexibility and resources as we continue to execute our long-term strategy to build our Visian ICL(TM) franchise and revive domestic cataract sales growth," said David Bailey, President and CEO of STAAR Surgical. "We believe this new relationships with Wells Fargo Bank reflects the bank's confidence in our future growth opportunities."

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 Visian ICL, a tiny, flexible lens implanted to correct refractive errors, as well as innovative products designed to improve patient outcomes for cataracts and glaucoma. STAAR's ICL is approved by the FDA for use in treating myopia, has received CE Marking and is approved for sale in 42 countries. More than 50,000 ICLs have been sold worldwide. More information is available at www.staar.com.

Safe Harbor

All statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including any statements about future transactions, future growth, any statements of the plans, strategies, and objectives of management for future operations, any statements regarding expectations for success of the ICL or other products in U.S. or international markets, 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 our need to enter into definitive agreements with Wells Fargo Bank to consummate the revolving credit line, our limited capital resources and limited access to financing, our ability to overcome negative publicity resulting from warning letters and other correspondence from the FDA Office of Compliance, the willingness of surgeons and patients to adopt a new product and procedure, and our ability to successfully launch and market the ICL in the U.S. while overcoming the foregoing challenges. Our ability to capitalize on the opportunity presented by the U.S. ICL approval depends on our overall financial condition, which can be adversely affected by our ability to implement our cost savings strategies and realize our expected savings, our ability to reverse the decline in domestic sales of intraocular lenses, our ability to maintain or enhance our existing product sales and gross profit margin and reduce compliance expenditures, 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, 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                           Media
     EVC Group                           EVC Group
     Douglas Sherk, 415-896-6820         Steve DiMattia, 646-277-8706
     Jennifer Beugelmans, 415-896-6820

SOURCE  STAAR Surgical Company
    -0-                             05/02/2006
    /CONTACT:  investors, Douglas Sherk, or Jennifer Beugelmans, both at
+1-415-896-6820, 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; Wells Fargo Bank
ST:  California
IN:  MTC HEA
SU:

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0701 05/02/2006 06:30 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com