8-K

                       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): May 7, 2002


                                 CRYOLIFE, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


                                     Florida
                 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)


         1-13165                                          59-2417093
  (Commission File Number)                     (IRS Employer Identification No.)


              1655 Roberts Boulevard N.W., Kennesaw, Georgia 30144
          (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)


                                 (770) 419-3355
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)


                                       N/A
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)






Item 4.  Changes in Registrant's Certifying Accountant.

On May 7, 2002,  CryoLife,  Inc.  ("CryoLife")  engaged  Deloitte & Touche,  LLP
("Deloitte")  as its independent  auditors.  The decision to engage Deloitte was
recommended by the Audit Committee and was approved by the Board of Directors of
CryoLife.  The engagement will be effective  immediately.  Deloitte replaces the
firm of Arthur  Andersen LLP as  independent  auditors of CryoLife.  On April 9,
2002, CryoLife dismissed Arthur Andersen as its independent auditors.

Neither  CryoLife nor anyone  engaged on its behalf has consulted  with Deloitte
during CryoLife's two most recently completed fiscal years or during its current
fiscal year with regard to either: (i) the application of accounting  principles
to a specified  transaction,  either completed or proposed, or the type of audit
opinion that might be rendered on CryoLife's financial  statements;  or (ii) any
matter  that was  either  the  subject  of a  disagreement  (as  defined in Item
304(a)(1)(iv)  of Regulation S-K and the related  instructions)  or a reportable
event (as described in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K).

CryoLife hereby  incorporates  by reference  herein the information set forth in
its press  release  dated May 7,  2002,  a copy of which is  attached  hereto as
Exhibit 99.1


Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

     (a)  Financial Statements.

          Not  applicable.

     (b)  Pro Forma Financial Information.

          Not  applicable.

     (c)  Exhibits.

          Exhibit Number              Description

          99.1                        Press Release dated May 7, 2002

                                       2



                                   SIGNATURES

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

                                           CRYOLIFE, INC.


Date:  May 10, 2002                      By:      /s/ D. Ashley Lee
                                              --------------------------------
                                              Name:    D. Ashley Lee
                                              Title:   Vice President, Chief
                                                       Financial Officer


                                       3



                                  EXHIBIT INDEX



Exhibit Number             Description                                      Page

99.1                       Press Release dated May 7, 2002


1461480

EX-99.1

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

                                [GRAPHIC OMITTED]

                                  NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: D. Ashley Lee
         Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
         (800) 438-8285

                   CRYOLIFE, INC. APPOINTS NEW ACCOUNTING FIRM


Atlanta,  GA ...(May 7,  2002)...CryoLife,  Inc.  (NYSE:  CRY),  a  life-science
company involved in the development and  commercialization  of cryopreserved and
tissue-engineered implantable heart valves, vascular and orthopaedic grafts, and
surgical  adhesives,  announced  that its Board of Directors  has  appointed the
accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche, LLP as the Company's independent auditors.

     Founded  in 1984,  CryoLife,  Inc.  is the  leader in the  development  and
commercialization of implantable living human tissues for use in cardiovascular,
vascular and orthopaedic  surgeries throughout the United States and Canada. The
Company's  BioGlue(R) surgical adhesive is FDA approved as an adjunct to sutures
and staples for use in adult  patients in open surgical  repair of large vessels
and is CE marked in the European  Community and approved in Canada and Australia
for  use in  vascular  and  pulmonary  sealing  and  repair.  The  Company  also
manufactures the  SynerGraft(R)  heart valve and the SynerGraft  vascular graft,
the  world's  first  tissue-engineered  heart  valve and  vascular  replacement,
respectively, and the CryoLife-O'Brien(R) and CryoLife-Ross(R) stentless porcine
heart  valves,  which  are  CE  marked  for  distribution  within  the  European
Community.  The human heart  valves and  vascular  grafts  processed by CryoLife
using the  SynerGraft  technology  are  distributed  in the U.S. under the trade
names  of  CryoValve(R)SG  and  CryoVein(R)SG,   respectively.

    For additional information about the company, visit CryoLife's web site:

http://www.cryolife.com -END-


1461480