BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The accompanying interim consolidated condensed financial statements and related disclosures have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in Edwards Lifesciences Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") have been condensed or omitted.

In the opinion of management of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation ("Edwards Lifesciences" or the "Company"), the interim consolidated condensed financial statements reflect all adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of the interim periods. All such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for the full year.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an amendment to the guidance on stock compensation. The amendment simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment award transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The guidance was effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. The Company adopted this standard effective January 1, 2017. The impact of the standard was as follows:


•	the Company recorded excess tax benefits of $39.5 million as a benefit to the "Provision for Income Taxes" for the six months ended June 30, 2017. Previously, this amount would have been recorded to "Additional Paid-in Capital";


•	the new standard eliminates the requirement that excess tax benefits be realized through a reduction in income taxes payable before a company can recognize them. As a result, on January 1, 2017, the Company recorded, on a modified-retrospective basis, a cumulative-effect adjustment of $9.3 million in retained earnings for excess tax benefits not previously recognized;


•	in the diluted earnings per share calculation, when applying the treasury stock method for shares that could be repurchased, the assumed proceeds no longer include the amount of excess tax benefit. This did not have a material impact on the Company's diluted net earnings per share calculation;


•	the new standard requires that excess tax benefits be reported as operating activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows. Previously, these cash flows were included in financing activities. The Company elected to apply this change on a prospective basis;


•	the new standard requires that employee taxes paid when an employer withholds shares for tax-withholding purposes be reported as financing activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows. This had no impact since the Company has historically presented these amounts as a financing activity; and


•	the Company elected not to change its policy on accounting for forfeitures, and continued to estimate forfeitures expected to occur to determine the amount of compensation cost to be recognized each period.

New Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

In March 2017, the FASB issued an amendment on the guidance on retirement benefits. The amendment requires that an employer disaggregate the service cost component from the other components of net benefit cost. The amendment also provides explicit guidance on how to present the service cost component and the other components of net benefit cost in the income statement and allows only the service cost component of net benefit cost to be eligible for capitalization. The guidance is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those annual periods. The guidance related to the presentation of the service cost component and the other components of net benefit cost in the income statement must be applied retrospectively, and the guidance related to the capitalization of the service cost component of net benefit cost must be applied prospectively. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.