Exhibit 99.1

   NEWS BULLETIN                             NMT Medical, Inc.
       FROM:                           RE:   27 Wormwood Street
                                             Boston, MA 02210-1625
FRB|Weber Shandwick                          (Nasdaq/NMS:NMTI)
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

AT THE COMPANY                      AT FRB     |    WEBER SHANDWICK
------------------------            -------------------------------
Richard E. Davis                    General Info:   Alison Ziegler
Vice President and CFO              Analyst Info:   Julie Tu
(617) 737-0930                      Media Info:     Judith Sylk-Siegel
                                    (212) 445-8400

        NMT MEDICAL ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO SELL VENA CAVA FILTER ASSETS
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BOSTON, MA, OCTOBER 19, 2001  - NMT Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: NMTI) announced today
that it has signed an agreement to sell assets comprising the Company's vena
cava filter business to C.R. Bard, Inc. (NYSE:BCR).

In exchange for these assets, NMT will receive $27 million in upfront cash
payments plus up to $7 million tied to certain NMT performance and delivery
milestones.  In addition to these cash payments, NMT will receive ongoing
royalty payments from Bard on sales of vena cava filter products and will
continue to manufacture the product for an interim period of time.  The
transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2001.  The agreement
is subject to customary closing conditions, including the expiration of the
waiting period under the Hart Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act of 1976 and
may also be terminated by C.R. Bard, Inc. in the event that the pending
acquisition of C.R. Bard, Inc. by Tyco International Ltd. closes before the NMT-
Bard transaction.

Commenting on the sale, Mr. John E. Ahern, President and Chief Executive Officer
of the Company, said, "We are pleased to have reached agreement with Bard that
settles the lengthy arbitration between the two companies and provides resources
to expeditiously move the proprietary Recovery(TM) vena cava filter from the
clinical development phase to commercialization."

The Company intends to use proceeds of the sale to eliminate the current
subordinated note payable, fund its continued clinical and commercial
development of its patented CardioSeal(R) cardiac septal repair implant
technology, and for general corporate purposes.

NMT Medical designs, develops and markets innovative medical devices that
utilize advanced technologies and are delivered by minimally invasive
procedures.  The Company's products are designed to offer alternative approaches
to existing complex treatments, thereby reducing patient trauma, shortening
procedure, hospitalization and recovery times, and lowering overall treatment
costs. The Company's cardiovascular business unit provides the interventional
cardiologist, interventional radiologist, and vascular surgeon with proprietary
catheter-based implant technologies that minimize or prevent the risk of embolic
events. The cardiovascular business unit also serves the pediatric
interventional cardiologist with a broad range of cardiac septal repair implants
delivered with nonsurgical catheter techniques. The NMT neurosciences business
unit serves the needs of neurosurgeons with a range of implantable and single-
use




FRB|Weber Shandwick serves as financial relations counsel to this company, is
     acting on the company's behalf in issuing this bulletin and receiving
                             compensation therefor.
The information contained herein is furnished for information purposes only and
         is not to be construed as an offer to buy or sell securities.


products including cerebral spinal fluid shunts, external drainage products, and
the Spetzler(TM) Titanium Aneurysm Clip.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Such forward-looking
statements, including statements regarding the ability of the Company to satisfy
closing conditions and performance and delivery milestones and the receipt of
royalty payments on sales by C.R. Bard, Inc., involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties or other factors which may cause actual results, performance or
achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements.  Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not
limited to, those discussed under the heading "Certain Factors That May Affect
Future Results" included in the Management's Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations in the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000, as amended and subsequent
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  For additional information on NMT Medical, Inc., please visit the Company's
                         website at www.nmtmedical.com.
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