Exhibit 99.1
                     ECLIPSE ANNOUNCES INVESTMENT IN
                   MICROHEART WITH U.S. VENTURE PARTNERS
                           AND VENROCK ASSOCIATES

Sunnyvale, CA, November 23, 1998 - Eclipse Surgical Technologies (Nasdaq: 
ESTI) announced today that U.S. Venture Partners (Menlo Park, CA) and Venrock 
Associates (New York, NY) have made a $5.5 million equity investment in 
MicroHeart Holding, Inc. ("MicroHeart"), a Delaware corporation. Following 
this investment, Eclipse contributed certain licenses, patents, and other 
intellectual property related to MicroHeart's business in exchange for stock 
and warrants in MicroHeart. In addition, Eclipse has agreed to perform 
research and development activities over the next year, for which it will be 
reimbursed by MicroHeart.

"We are pleased to collaborate with two of the top venture capital firms in 
the country," said Dr. Douglas Murphy-Chutorian, Chairman and Chief Executive 
Officer of Eclipse. "U.S. Venture Partners and Venrock Associates bring to 
MicroHeart a wealth of experience in the biotechnology and medical device 
industries."

Eclipse now owns less than 20% of the outstanding shares of MicroHeart. On a 
fully diluted basis, if Eclipse were to exercise all of its warrants, Eclipse 
would then own a majority position in MicroHeart.

MicroHeart designs and develops devices for drug delivery of growth factors 
to promote angiogenesis in the heart. Myocardial revascularization utilizing 
angiogenic drugs and growth factors is a nascent technology intended to 
provide a new therapeutic approach to the treatment of coronary artery 
disease and associated symptoms such as angina.

Eclipse is a medical device company specializing in cardiac revascularization 
products for the treatment of advanced cardiovascular disease and severe 
angina pain. The Company recently received FDA Advisory Panel recommendation 
for approval of its TMR Laser System. Transmyocardial Revascularization 
("TMR") and Percutaneous Transluminal Myocardial Revascularization ("PTMR") 
are investigational laser heart treatments in which one millimeter channels 
are made in the heart muscle with the intention of stimulating the growth of 
new blood vessels to result in the reduction of angina 



pain. Eclipse must obtain PMA marketing clearance from the FDA before its 
products for TMR or PTMR can be offered on a commercial basis in the United 
States. For more information on the Company and its products, please visit 
the Eclipse web site at http://www.eclipsesurg.com

Eclipse recently announced a proposed business combination with CardioGenesis 
Corporation, with CardioGenesis shareholders to receive 0.8 of a share of 
Eclipse stock for every share of CardioGenesis owned. The proposed 
combination is subject to shareholder approval from both companies.

The forward looking statements in this news release related to the future 
potential of angiogenic drug delivery technologies are based on current 
expectations and beliefs and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties 
that could cause the actual results to differ materially. Other factors that 
could cause actual Eclipse or MicroHeart results to differ materially include 
uncertainties associated with clinical trials, no assurance of market 
acceptance, potential third-party patent infringement claims and uncertainty 
regarding production of proprietary technologies, uncertainty related to 
consummation of Eclipse's proposed business combination with CardioGenesis 
Corp., as well as additional risk factors, as discussed in the "Risk Factors" 
section of Eclipse's Annual Report on Form 10-K dated December 31, 1997, and 
Eclipse's quarterly reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange 
Commission (SEC).

Contacts: 
Douglas Murphy-Chutorian, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, Kenneth 
Bennert, Chief Financial Officer, or Tara Spangler Calhoun, Investor 
Relations Director, Eclipse Surgical Technologies, Inc. (408) 747-0120