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News Release

INVACARE ANNOUNCES SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF SUBURBAN OSTOMY TENDER OFFER

     Combined  Companies   Strengthen   Invacare's   Industry-Leading  One  Stop
Shoppingsm Program Which Delivers Total Lowest Cost To HME Provider

         ELYRIA,  Ohio -- (January 23, 1998) -- Invacare  Corporation,  (NASDAQ:
IVCR)  announced  today  that the offer by its  wholly  owned  subsidiary,  Inva
Acquisition  Corp., to purchase for cash all of the outstanding shares of common
stock of Suburban  Ostomy Supply Co., Inc.  (NASDAQ:  SOSC) at a price of $11.75
per share, expired at midnight yesterday.

         Based on a  preliminary  count,  10,486,248  shares were  tendered  and
accepted for payment,  including 79,501 shares submitted by notice of guaranteed
delivery.  The  acceptance of these shares  results in  Invacare's  ownership of
approximately  99.5 percent of the outstanding  stock of Suburban.  Accordingly,
Invacare  can now  effect a merger  of  Suburban  into Inva  Acquisition  Corp.,
without  prior  notice to or any other  action  by,  any  other  stockholder  of
Suburban.

         "We are pleased to have completed this significant  transaction,"  said
A.  Malachi  Mixon,  III,  chairman  and chief  executive  officer  of  Invacare
Corporation.   "Suburban  complements   Invacare's   industry-leading  One  Stop
Shoppingsm  strategy,  and  its  product  lines  present  a  $1  billion  market
opportunity  for  Invacare  to further  serve the  non-acute  provider  channel.
Disposable  medical supplies can represent as much as 20 percent of a provider's
revenues.  Plans are already  underway  for the  integrated  company to leverage
customer relationships by combining Invacare's field sales and Suburban's inside
sales organizations.  In a rapidly evolving health care environment that demands
increased  efficiency,  the combined companies create an organization capable of
lowering our  customers'  operating  costs and  increasing  their cash flow," he
added.

                                   -- more --

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Invacare, Suburban Complete Merger - Add One

         Herb  Gray,  Suburban's  chief  executive  officer  said,  "We are very
pleased to become part of the Invacare family.  Suburban and its management have
a high  regard for  Invacare's  growth and  accomplishments  in serving the home
health care equipment  market.  We look forward to reaping the benefits achieved
through  the  addition  of  Invacare's   comprehensive   line  of  home  medical
equipment."

         Suburban now becomes a core strategic  business to Invacare and will be
run as a separate  operating group by the current management team, who are based
in Holliston, MA.

         Invacare  also  announced  today  that it is  starting  the  process of
identifying potential purchasers for a very small segment of Suburban's business
which bills  third-party  payors directly.  This segment is part of the Peiser's
division of Suburban.  No time frame has yet been  determined for the completion
of such a transaction.

         "Our  corporate  policy is to sell solely through  providers,  and this
same policy will apply to Suburban," said Mixon.

         Suburban  Ostomy Supply Co., Inc. is a direct  marketing  wholesaler of
medical  supplies  and related  products to the home health care  industry.  The
company sells  products to over 23,000 home health care  providers.  Through its
direct  sales and  marketing  programs,  the  company  markets  a  comprehensive
selection of more than 7,000 stock keeping units,  which are primarily  products
for ostomy, incontinence, diabetic and wound care.

         Invacare   Corporation  is  the  world's   leading   manufacturer   and
distributor  of home health care products and mobility  products for people with
disabilities. The company's headquarters are in Elyria, Ohio, with manufacturing
plants in the United States,  Australia,  Canada,  Germany,  France, Mexico, New
Zealand, Portugal,  Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Products are distributed
through more than 10,000  professional  home care  providers,  institutions  and
retail outlets.

         This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current
expectations  which are covered  under the "safe  harbor"  provision  within the
Private  Securities  Litigation  Reform Act of 1995.  Actual  results and events
related to the  acquisition  may differ  from those  anticipated  as a result of
risks and  uncertainties  which  include,  but are not limited to, the effective
integration of Suburban and its recent  acquisitions  and the overall  economic,
market and industry conditions, as well as the risks described from time to time
in Invacare's and  Suburban's  reports as filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including their most recently filed Form 10-K reports.
                                     


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