Mentor Submits Pre-Market Approval Application for Contour Profile Gel Breast Implant

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Mentor Submits Pre-Market Approval Application for

Contour Profile Gel Breast Implant Products

Monday April 3, 8:30 am ET

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3,

2006--Mentor Corporation (NYSE:MNT - News), a leading

supplier of medical products in the United States and

internationally, today announced that it had filed its

Pre-Market Approval (PMA) application with the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Company's

Contour Profile® gel breast implant products

(CPG).

" Our CPG implants are market leading products in every

country that they are available, and we are pleased to

be in a position to seek approval for these products

in the U.S. as well, " commented H. Levine,

President and Chief Executive Officer. " Their shape

more closely imitates the natural breast, and would

allow surgeons and their cosmetic and reconstructive

patients to have more choices for breast surgery. "

Mentor's silicone gel-filled breast implants,

including the CPG products, are filled with

MemoryGel. " All of Mentor's MemoryGel implants are

filled with a proprietary silicone gel formulation

that holds its shape but remains soft, resulting in a

realistic feel and appearance, " said Levine. " Because

the personal needs of each patient vary, we are

committed to offering experienced physicians more

MemoryGel products that would enable them to achieve

the most realistic breast contour. "

Mentor also remains in discussion with the FDA

regarding the conditions for approval of the Company's

MemoryGel round silicone gel breast implant PMA,

including post-market patient monitoring. The Company

submitted its PMA in December of 2003. In April 2005,

Mentor received a recommendation for approval, with

conditions, by an FDA Advisory Panel. In July 2005,

the Company received an " approvable letter " from the

FDA that stipulated a number of conditions which

Mentor must satisfy in order to receive FDA approval

to market and sell silicone gel-filled breast implants

in the United States. There can be no assurances with

respect to the timing and outcome of the FDA's

decision regarding approval.

About Mentor Corporation

Founded in 1969, Mentor Corporation is a leading

supplier of medical products for the global healthcare

market. The Company develops, manufactures and markets

innovative, science-based products for the aesthetics,

urologic specialties and clinical and consumer

healthcare markets around the world. The Company's

website is www.mentorcorp.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

All statements included or incorporated by reference

in this release, other than statements or

characterizations of historical fact, are

forward-looking statements. These forward-looking

statements are based on our current expectations,

estimates and projections about our industry,

management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by

us. Forward-looking statements in this press release

include but are not limited to those statements

related to Mentor's belief that CPG products " would

allow surgeons and cosmetic and reconstructive

patients to have more choices for breast surgery, " and

our commitment to " offering experienced physicians

more MemoryGel products that would enable them to

achieve the most realistic breast contour. "

Forward-looking statements can also be identified by

words such as " anticipates, " " expects, " " intends, "

" plans, " " predicts, " " believes, " " seeks, " " estimates, "

" may, " " will, " " should, " " would, " " could, " " provide, "

" potential, " " continue, " similar expressions, and

variations or negatives of these words. In addition,

any statements that refer to expectations, projections

or other characterizations of future events or

circumstances, including any underlying assumptions,

are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking

statements speak only as of the date hereof and are

based upon the information available to us at this

time. Such information is subject to change, and we

will not necessarily inform you of such changes. These

statements are not guarantees of future results and

are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions

that are difficult to predict. Therefore, our actual

results could differ materially and adversely from

those expressed in any forward-looking statement as a

result of various factors.

The Securities and Exchange Commission filings of

Mentor, including, without limitation, its Annual

Reports on Form 10-K, subsequent quarterly reports on

Form 10-Q, and recent Current reports on Form 8-K,

discuss important risk factors that could contribute

to such differences or otherwise affect its business,

results of operations and financial condition. Mentor

undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly

any forward-looking statement for any reason.

Contact:

Mentor Corporation

R. Nicholson, 805-879-6082

Source: Mentor Corporation