Mr. Hays will be compensated according to the Company's Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy and Non-Employee Director Stock Option Grant Policy and will also be entitled to indemnification pursuant to the standard indemnification agreement between the Company and its officers and directors.

Under the Company's Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy, each eligible director is paid an annual retainer of $10,000 for membership on the Board and additional annual retainers of $5,000 for serving a s Chairman of the Compensation Committee or the Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, $15,000 for serving as Chairman of the Audit Committee, $1,000 for serving as a member of the Compensation Committee or a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and $2,500 for serving as member of the Audit Committee. All annual retainers are paid in quarterly installments, and are pro-rated for period of service if a director's service ends prematurely. Each eligible director is also paid $2,500 for each regularly scheduled quarterly meeting of the Board attended in person, $1,000 for each regularly scheduled quarterly meeting of the Board attended via telephone or videoconferencing, $500 for each special meeting of the Board attended in person or via telephone or videoconferencing, and $500 for each committee meeting of the Board attended in person or via telephone or videoconferencing. Regardless of the foregoing, no eligible director may receive more than $40,000 in any calendar year without specific approval of the Board. All members of the Board receive reimbursement of travel and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with attending meetings of the Board or committees thereof. As Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and member of the Audit Committee, Mr. Hays will be entitled to an annual retainer of $17,500 for his service, fees for attendance at meetings as set forth above, and travel reimbursement.

Under the Company's Non-Employee Director Stock Option Grant Policy, each eligible director is granted a non-statutory stock option to purchase 20,000 shares of the Company's common stock (subject to adjustment in accordance with the Company's 2006 Stock Option and Incentive Plan) upon his or her initial election or appointment to the Board. Each such director is also granted a non-statutory option to purchase 7,500 shares of the Company's common stock (again subject to adjustment in accordance with the Company's 2006 Stock Option and In centive Plan) at the first meeting of the Board following each annual meeting of the Company's stockholders, provided that such director has served in that capacity for at least six months. All of the foregoing grants are made at the market value of the Company's common stock on the date of grant, vest in three equal annual installments on the anniversary of the grant date, and terminate five years from the date of grant (or, if earlier, 90 days after the end of the grantee's service as a member of the Board). Consistent with this Policy, the Board of Directors approved a grant to Mr. Hays of a non-statutory stock option for 20,000 shares of the Company's common stock, to be made on January 1, 2008.

The information contained in Exhibit 99.1 shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or incorporated by reference in any filing under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

Exhibit      Description

Burlington, MA -- 12/17/2007 -- LeMaitre Vascular, Inc. (NASDAQ: LMAT - News) (the "Company") today announced that Russell D. Hays has been appointed to its Board of Directors, effective as of January 1, 2008. Mr. Hays will serve as a Class II director, standing for election at the next annual meeting of the Company's shareholders, and will also serve as Chair of the Company's Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and as a member of its Audit Committee.

Russell D. Hays most recently served as the President, CEO, and Chairman of Biosource International, Inc., a leading provider of biomedical research tools that was acquired by Invitrogen Corporation in October 2005. Prior to his work at Biosource, Mr. Hays served as President and CEO of NEN Life Sciences, Inc., a major supplier of reagent systems for the genomics industry. Mr. Hays also previously served as the President and CEO of ReSound Corporation, a publicly traded company, and as the Executive Vice President and President of Nellcor Puritan Bennett's Hospital Business Division. In addition, Mr. Hays served on LeMaitre Vascular's Board of Directors from 2003 through 2005. Mr. Hays received a Masters Degree in business from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Science in physics from Elmhurst College.

"The Board is delighted to welcome Russ back, and we look forward to his help in taking the company to the next level," said George W. LeMaitre, Chairman and CEO, who added "Russ's knowledge of LeMaitre Vascular, combined with his exceptional track record in growing successful businesses, makes him an ideal member of our Board."

The Company expects that the appointment of Mr. Hays to its Board of Directors and Audit Committee will cause it to regain compliance with the Marketplace Rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market ("Nasdaq"). As previously announced, the voluntary resignation in August of Guido J. Neels as a director of the Company resulted in the Company's noncompliance with Nasdaq rules requiring that a majority of the Company's Board of Directors be independent and that the Company's Audit Committee be composed of three or more independent directors. Nasdaq rules allow such vacancies to be filled during a cure period. The appointment of Mr. Hays falls well within this cure period, and the Company expects that Nasdaq will find that the Company has regained compliance with its rules when Nasdaq reviews the matter in January 2008.

About LeMaitre Vascular

LeMaitre Vascular develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease. The company's principal executive offices are located at 63 Second Avenue, Burlington, Massachusetts 01803.

Certain statements set forth above that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, the Company's anticipation that it will regain compliance with Nasdaq Marketplace Rules. Although the Company believes that such statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge, these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees. The forward-looking statements made in this release are made only as of the date hereof, and the Company disclaims any intention or responsibility for updating predictions or expectations contained in this release.

CONTACT:
Aaron Grossman
Office: 781.221.2266
Investor Relations
LeMaitre Vascular, Inc.

SOURCE:
LeMaitre Vascular, Inc.