Professor Benjamin R. Lee Awarded the Arthur D. Smith Endourology Lectureship

Award Recognizes Dr. Lee for His Significant Contributions to the Practice of
Minimally Invasive Urological Surgery
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.--(Business Wire)--
Dr. Benjamin Lee, professor of urology at the Tulane University School of
Medicine and Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, has been selected as the 2008
winner of the Arthur D. Smith Endourology Lectureship known as the "Arthur"
Award. Dr. Lee received the award at the 26th World Congress of Endourology
(WCE) in Shanghai for his expertise in state-of-the-art techniques for minimally
invasive urological surgery, particularly laparoscopy, as well as for his
commitment and service to advancing the discipline of endourology. Presented by
the Endourological Society`s awards committee, the prize is funded by a grant
from Cook Medical in honor of Dr. Arthur D. Smith`s lifetime of achievements and
contributions to the practice of endourology.

Dr. Lee`s career has focused on advancing treatments for renal cell carcinoma,
prostate cancer, kidney disease, ureteral obstruction and kidney stones. He has
published seminal research into decreasing the morbidity of surgery; identifying
methods of decreasing recurrence of cancer; explanations why the immune system
may be activated differently following laparoscopy compared to open surgery, and
further studies into preserving kidney function during laparoscopic kidney
surgery. He completed his urology residency at the James Buchanan Brady
Urological Institute at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center and then became an
assistant professor at Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center at the Albert
Einstein College of Medicine. During his tenure at LIJ, Dr. Lee was privileged
to train with the Arthur Award`s namesake, Dr. Arthur D. Smith. Dr. Lee was
later named director of the medical center`s laparoscopy section.

Dr. Lee recently joined the Tulane School of Medicine`s faculty as professor of
urology and director of robotics, laparoscopy and endourology. He is the author
or co-author of more than 200 scientific manuscripts, book chapters, videos and
abstracts. Dr. Lee`s research has been recognized by awards from the American
Urological Association and the Endourological Society and Urology Journal. He is
also on the Editorial Board and serves as Vice-Chair of the Audio Visual
Committee of the American Urological Association.

"The Arthur award is a significant achievement and I am honored to receive this
recognition from the Endourological Society," said Professor Lee. "Working at
the side of Dr. Arthur Smith has been an extremely rewarding and educational
experience that helped to drive the path of my career. I look forward to
continuing my work focusing on novel laparoscopic techniques and other minimally
invasive approaches to current endourological procedures in an effort to improve
patient care."

Jerry French, senior vice president and leader of Cook Medical`s urology
strategic business unit, said, "Professor Lee has contributed a number of
outstanding achievements to the field of endourology, including major
breakthroughs in urologic laparoscopy and robotic surgery. Cook is delighted
that the Endourological Society has chosen to recognize him for his
extraordinary work and outstanding contributions to the field, and knows his
valuable contributions will improve patient care in the years ahead."

Supported by an annual grant from Cook Medical, the Arthur was first awarded on
the occasion of Dr. Smith`s departure as president of the Endourological Society
at the 2004 WCE in Mumbai, India. He has remained as one of the leading
innovators in the field of minimally invasive urological surgery, pioneering
several new operative techniques used in percutaneous nephrolithotomy, treatment
of kidney stones, percutaneous treatment of transitional cell carcinoma and
endopyelotomy.

Urologists are eligible for the award within the first 10 years of practice
after completion of a urology residency or fellowship.

About Cook Medical

Cook Medical was one of the first companies to help popularize interventional
medicine, pioneering many of the devices now commonly used worldwide to perform
minimally invasive medical procedures. Today, the company integrates minimally
invasive medical device design, biopharma, gene and cell therapy, and biotech to
enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes in the fields of aortic
intervention; interventional cardiology; critical care medicine;
gastroenterology; radiology, peripheral vascular, bone access and oncology;
surgery and soft tissue repair; urology; and assisted reproductive technology,
gynecology and high-risk obstetrics.Founded in 1963 and operated as a
family-held private corporation, Cook is a past winner of the prestigious
Medical Device Manufacturer of the Year Award from Medical Device & Diagnostic
Industry magazine. For more information, visit www.cookmedical.com.

Cook Urology and Women`s Health
Gail McDaniel, 812-339-2235 X7067
gail.mcdaniel@cookmedical.com
or
Racepoint Group, Inc.
Shannon Breen, 781-487-4607
sbreen@racepointgroup.com

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