Advanced Medical Optics Establishes Rule 10b5-1 Stock Trading Program

Advanced Medical Optics Establishes Rule 10b5-1 Stock Trading
Program 


SANTA ANA, Calif., March 16  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Advanced Medical Optics,
Inc. (AMO) (NYSE:AVO), a global leader in ophthalmic surgical devices and eye
care products, today announced that it has implemented a stock trading program
in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934.  The
program permits participating company executives and board members to adopt
pre-arranged plans to buy or sell pre-determined amounts of AMO stock over time
in compliance with AMO's insider trading policies and stock ownership
guidelines.

Rule 10b5-1 allows corporate officers and directors, including entities within
their control, to adopt written plans for trading securities in a
non-discretionary, pre-arranged manner in order to avoid concerns about
initiating stock transactions when the insider may be aware of non-public
information.  Under these plans, insiders can systematically diversify their
investment portfolios, spread stock trades out over an extended period of time
in order to reduce any market impact, and avoid concerns about whether they had
material, non-public information when they bought or sold the company's stock.

This is not a change to AMO's insider trading policies, which have permitted
Rule 10b5-1 trading plans since AMO's inception.  No sales by company
executives will be permitted before the completion of the proposed merger of
AMO and VISX, Incorporated.  AMO announced in November 2004 that it had reached
an agreement with VISX to acquire the company for a combination of cash and
stock.  The transaction requires approval of both companies' stockholders.  AMO
expects to close the transaction in the second quarter of 2005.

Jim Mazzo, AMO president and chief executive officer, has established a stock
trading plan under the AMO program to acquire shares pursuant to stock options
that are nearing expiration.  As part of this plan, Mr. Mazzo will exercise
employee stock options for 268,515 shares over a period of approximately three
years.  These options expire beginning in January 2006, with the latest to
expire in early 2008.  The plan provides that Mr. Mazzo will sell only the
number of shares required to cover the option exercise price and taxes
associated with the stock transactions and retain the remaining shares.

About Advanced Medical Optics (AMO)

AMO is a global leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of
ophthalmic surgical and eye care products.  The company focuses on developing a
broad suite of innovative technologies and devices to address a wide range of
eye disorders.  Products in the ophthalmic surgical line include intraocular
lenses, phacoemulsification systems, viscoelastics, microkeratomes and related
products used in cataract and refractive surgery.  AMO owns or has the rights
to such ophthalmic surgical product brands as Phacoflex(R), Clariflex(R),
Array(R), Sensar(R), CeeOn(R), Tecnis(R) and Verisyse(TM) intraocular lenses,
Sovereign(R) and Sovereign(R) Compact(TM) phacoemulsification systems with
WhiteStar(TM) technology, Amadeus(TM) and Amadeus(TM) II microkeratomes,
Healon(R) and Vitrax(R) viscoelastics, and the Baerveldt(R) glaucoma shunt. 
Products in the contact lens care line include disinfecting solutions, daily
cleaners, enzymatic cleaners and lens rewetting drops.  Among the contact lens
care product brands the company possesses are COMPLETE(R) Moisture PLUS(TM),
COMPLETE(R) Blink-N-Clean(R), Consept(R)F, Consept(R) 1 Step, Oxysept(R) 1
Step, UltraCare(R), Ultrazyme(R), Total Care(R) and blink(TM) branded products.
 Amadeus is a licensed product of, and a trademark of, SIS, Ltd.  AMO is based
in Santa Ana, California, and employs approximately 2,800 worldwide.  The
company has operations in about 20 countries and markets products in
approximately 60 countries.  For more information, visit the company's Web site
at http://www.amo-inc.com/.

   Advanced Medical Optics, Inc.
   Investors:  Sheree Aronson
   [phone]
   

   Media:  Steve Chesterman
   [phone]
   

DATASOURCE: Advanced Medical Optics, Inc.



CONTACT:  investors, Sheree Aronson, [phone],

, or media, Steve Chesterman, [phone],

, both of Advanced Medical Optics, Inc.



Web site:  http://www.amo-inc.com/ 

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