UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549



                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 18, 2004


                               CONMED CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


           New York                       0-16093                 16-0977505
- -------------------------------           -------                 ----------
(State or other jurisdiction of         (Commission          (I.R.S. Employer
  incorporation or organization)        File Number)         Identification No.)



                                 525 French Road
                              Utica, New York 13502
                              ---------------------
          (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)



                                 (315) 797-8375
                                 --------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)











Item 5. Other Events

On August 18, 2004,  CONMED  Corporation  (Nasdaq:  CNMD)  announced that it had
entered into an agreement to acquire certain products  comprising the Endoscopic
Technologies  Division of C.R.  Bard,  Inc.  (NYSE:  BCR).  The acquired  assets
consist of a  comprehensive  line of  single-use  medical  devices  employed  by
gastro-intestinal  (GI) and pulmonary  physicians to diagnose and treat diseases
of the digestive tract and lungs using minimally invasive endoscopic techniques.

CONMED  Corporation  intends to finance the acquisition using  approximately $30
million of its cash on hand and borrowings under its revolving credit facility.




                                    SIGNATURE

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.



                                               CONMED CORPORATION
                                                  (Registrant)


                                               By:/s/    Robert D. Shallish, Jr.
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                    Vice President-Finance and
                                                    Chief Financial Officer


Date:  August 20, 2004