PLC SYSTEMS INC
10-K, 1997-04-15
ELECTROMEDICAL & ELECTROTHERAPEUTIC APPARATUS
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                           ---------------------------

                                    FORM 10-K

                ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                   FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996
                         COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 1-11388

                           ---------------------------


                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

                           ---------------------------


    BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA                                 04-3153858
(State or other jurisdiction of                           (I.R.S. employer
 incorporation or organization)                          identification No.)


                     10 FORGE PARK, FRANKLIN, MASSACHUSETTS
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                                      02038
                                   (Zip Code)

                           ---------------------------


                                 (508) 541-8800
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                           ---------------------------


           SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(B) OF THE ACT:

                                                      Name of Each Exchange
   Title of Each Class                                 on which Registered
   -------------------                                 -------------------
COMMON STOCK, NO PAR VALUE                           AMERICAN STOCK EXCHANGE

                           ---------------------------


         INDICATE BY CHECK MARK WHETHER THE REGISTRANT (1) HAS FILED ALL REPORTS
REQUIRED TO BE FILED BY SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE  SECURITIES  EXCHANGE  ACT OF
1934  DURING  THE  PRECEDING  12 MONTHS  (OR FOR SUCH  SHORTER  PERIOD  THAT THE
REGISTRANT WAS REQUIRED TO FILE SUCH REPORTS),  AND (2) HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO SUCH
FILING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PAST 90 DAYS.

                                  YES [X]   NO [ ]

         INDICATE BY CHECK MARK IF DISCLOSURE OF DELINQUENT  FILERS  PURSUANT TO
ITEM 405 OF REGULATION S-K IS NOT CONTAINED  HEREIN,  AND WILL NOT BE CONTAINED,
TO THE BEST OF  REGISTRANT'S  KNOWLEDGE,  IN  DEFINITIVE  PROXY  OR  INFORMATION
STATEMENTS  INCORPORATED  BY  REFERENCE  IN PART  III OF THIS  FORM  10-K OR ANY
AMENDMENT TO THIS FORM 10-K. __

         The aggregate  market value of the voting stock held by  non-affiliates
of the registrant, based on the last sale price for such stock on April 9, 1997,
was $268,463,528. As of April 9, 1997, 16,627,537 shares of Common Stock, no par
value per share, were outstanding.

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                       DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
                       -----------------------------------


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                          PART OF FORM 10-K
                                                                        ANNUAL REPORT IN WHICH
         DOCUMENT                                                      DOCUMENT IS INCORPORATED
         --------                                                      ------------------------

<S>                                                                         <C>           
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with
the Commission on July 19, 1995.                                                Part IV


Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 1994.                                                   Part IV


Registration Statement on Form S-1                                              Part IV
(File No. 33-58258).


Registration Statement on Form S-1                                              Part IV
(File No. 33-48340).

</TABLE>


           COMPLIANCE WITH COMPANY ACT REGULATIONS (BRITISH COLUMBIA)

         This  Annual  Report  on Form  10-K is  intended  to  comply  with  the
requirements of Section 6 of the Company Act Regulations (British Columbia).



                                        2





                                     PART I

ITEM 1.           BUSINESS.

         This report contains  forward-looking  statements regarding anticipated
increases  in revenues,  marketing  of products and proposed  products and other
matters.  These  statements,  in addition to statements made in conjunction with
the words "anticipate",  "expect",  "intend",  "believe", "seek", "estimate" and
similar  expressions  are  forward-looking  statements  that involve a number of
risks and uncertainties.  The following is a list of factors, among others, that
would  cause  actual  results  to  differ  materially  from the  forward-looking
statements:  approval  by  the  U.S.  Food  and  Drug  Administration,  business
conditions  and  growth in certain  market  segments  and  general  economy,  an
increase  in  competition,  increased  or  continued  market  acceptance  of the
Company's  products and  proposed  products,  and other risks and  uncertainties
indicated  from time to time in the Company's  filings with the  Securities  and
Exchange Commission.

GENERAL

         PLC Systems  Inc.  ("PLC" or the  "Company")  has  developed a patented
high-powered  carbon dioxide ("CO2") laser system known as The Heart  Laser(TM)1
for broad  application in the treatment of coronary artery disease in a surgical
laser procedure developed by the Company and its clinical investigators known as
transmyocardial  revascularization  ("TMR"). The Company believes that TMR using
the Heart Laser may provide an  alternative or adjunct  therapy to  conventional
revascularization  treatments,  such as  coronary  bypass  surgery  and  balloon
angioplasty,  which are  currently  used to bypass or  reduce  the  blockage  in
coronary arteries afflicted with coronary artery disease.

         TMR,  using the Heart  Laser  creates  new  channels  in the heart that
permit  oxygenated  blood  present  in the left  ventricle  of the heart to flow
outwardly to the ischemic (oxygen starved) areas of the heart muscle affected by
atherosclerosis.  Through a small incision made between the patient's  ribs, the
Heart Laser is used to drill approximately 20-40 tiny holes from the exterior of
the heart  muscle into the  interior of the left  ventricle.  This  procedure is
performed  on a  beating  heart  and does not  require  the use of a  heart-lung
machine.  Clinical  test results have  indicated  that through the body's normal
healing  process,  the end of each  hole on the  exterior  of the  heart  muscle
closes,  but the channels  created into the  interior  remain open  resulting in
oxygenated blood flowing outwardly from the left ventricle to the ischemic areas
of the heart  muscle.  Studies  conducted at the Max Planck  Institut in Germany
using myocardial  contrast  echocardiography  (MCE)  demonstrated  patent (open)
channels in the heart muscles of TMR patients  which was further  confirmed by a
study conducted at University Hospital in Hamburg, Germany using a revolutionary
ultrasound system. The Company believes successful TMR may eliminate the need to
bypass or clear the coronary  arteries that normally supply  oxygenated blood to
the heart muscle.

         Under the Company's first indication for the Heart Laser, for which PLC
has  submitted  a  PreMarket  Approval  application,  the  U.S.  Food  and  Drug
Administration  ("FDA") has authorized the Company to utilize the Heart Laser to
treat  patients who were not suitable for  conventional  bypass surgery or other
revascularization procedures.  Management believes that clinical testing to date
has been positive,  with benefits  including reduced length of hospital stays by
patients,  more efficient  all-inclusive  treatment  costs,  reduction of angina
pain,  increased activity level,  improved quality of life and reduced incidents
of adverse  side  effects and  restenosis  compared to  alternative  treatments.
Management  notes,  however,  that TMR  using  the  Heart  Laser is still in the
testing  stage and that at this time no  assurance  can be given  regarding  the
ultimate  safety or  efficacy  of the  device as  treatment  for  cardiovascular
disease.

         Well over 2,500  patients  have been  treated  with TMR using the Heart
Laser in the United States and overseas.  The Heart Laser has been shipped to 19
sites in the United States and the Company had sold or placed (through  December
31, 1996) 54 Heart Lasers  overseas with an  additional  Heart Laser shipped for
clinical  evaluation.  At the same  time,  a number of  studies  and  scientific
conferences have been held favorably reporting on the use of TMR using the Heart
Laser as an adjunct or alternative to bypass and angioplasty procedures.

         Since January 1, 1996, the following  accomplishments  and  significant
events have taken place:

         PMA Application Receives "Filed" Status with the FDA. In February 1997,
the Company  received  notification  from the FDA that its PMA  application  was
filed. Prior to this, the application was considered to be "submitted" and would
be evaluated as to the completeness of the data prior to making a determination
- --------------------

1.  The Heart Laser is a trademark of PLC Medical Systems, Inc.

                                        3





on its substance.  Filing is the last essential step prior to a panel review and
approval. A PMA is considered filed with the FDA when sufficient information has
been  received to allow a final  substantiative  review and a panel  meeting.  A
filed PMA with  expedited  review status is a top priority and should  receive a
timely  evaluation  and panel  meeting.  Management  believes that the Company's
Heart  Laser  study is the first and only PMA  application  for TMR to receive "
filed" status with the FDA.

         Submission  of Six Month  Results of  Controlled,  Randomized  Clinical
Trial.  In  August  1996,  the  Company  submitted  six  month  results  of  its
controlled,  randomized  clinical trial to the FDA comparing TMR using the Heart
Laser to  medical  therapy.  The study  covered  100  patients  conducted  at 12
clinical sites in the United States with  approximately one half of the patients
being  randomized to the group  receiving  TMR using the Heart Laser.  The other
half of the patient  group  received  only medical  therapy.  Six month  results
showed that 71% of the TMR group  demonstrated a decrease of at least two angina
classes while the medical therapy group remained the same or worsened. The study
also  provided a direct  comparison  of mortality  rates  showing that  patients
treated with TMR had a mortality rate of 6% as compared to 16% for those treated
with medical therapy.

         FDA Notification of Randomization  Halt. In September 1996, the Company
received notification from the FDA that the Company could halt the randomization
of patients to medical  management  group in its study  comparing  patients  who
receive TMR using the  Company's CO2 Heart Laser to patients  receiving  medical
therapy only. This decision followed the Company's  submission of results of its
controlled, randomized study to the FDA in August.

         Move to  Expanded  Facility  and  Increased  Number  of  Employees.  In
September  1996,  the  Company  moved to a new 37,000  square  foot  facility in
Franklin,  MA, increasing its  manufacturing  capability to 250 Heart Lasers per
year  on  a  single  shift.  The  number  of  employees  both  domestically  and
internationally increased significantly over the prior year.

         Continued  Expansion of Sales and Marketing  Activities.  In 1996,  the
Company  incorporated  four new  international  sales  subsidiaries  in Germany,
Switzerland,  France and  Singapore to further  expand the  Company's  worldwide
sales and marketing activities. In addition, the development of a domestic sales
force was initiated with the hiring of a sales  management  team in anticipation
of an FDA approval of the Heart Laser.

         Four  International  Patents  Issued.  During  1996,  the  Company  was
notified that its key patent, the heart synchronization patent was issued by the
European Patent Office and by the Japanese Patent Office. In addition, two other
laser technology patents were issued, one in Japan and one in Canada.

         Commencement  of ISO 9001  Certification.  In the  spring of 1996,  the
Company  initiated a program to meet ISO 9001 quality  standards.  ISO 9001 is a
series  of   standards   defining   a  quality   system   which  is   recognized
internationally  and is required by the European  Community in 1998. The Company
expects to receive this certification by the end of second quarter 1997.

BACKGROUND

         In 1981,  the Company's  Chairman,  Dr.  Robert I. Rudko,  formed Laser
Engineering,  Inc. ("LEI"), now PLC Medical Systems,  Inc., to commercialize the
development  of sealed-off  carbon  dioxide  ("CO2")  lasers.  In 1988,  the San
Francisco Heart Institute  advanced  $250,000 to assist LEI in developing a high
powered CO2 laser which could be used for TMR on a beating heart.

         In March 1991, PLC Systems Inc.  ("PLC"),  a publicly  traded  Canadian
investment company, entered into a joint venture agreement with LEI and provided
LEI with  $3,000,000  in funding to continue  development  of the Heart Laser in
return  for  22.5%  of  the  outstanding  common  stock  of LEI  and  50% of the
outstanding  common  stock of Heart Laser,  Inc.  ("HLI"),  a subsidiary  of LEI
established to develop the Heart

                                        4





Laser. From February through June 1992, all of the stockholders of LEI exchanged
their  securities in LEI for  approximately  3,400,000 shares of common stock of
PLC, resulting in LEI and HLI becoming wholly owned subsidiaries of PLC. HLI was
merged into LEI effective  January 1, 1993.  LEI changed its name to PLC Medical
Systems, Inc. on January 1, 1995.

         In November 1990, the Company received a Phase I Investigational Device
Exemption  ("IDE") for its Heart  Laser from the FDA.  In  granting  the Phase I
study, the FDA permitted the use of the Heart Laser for patients  considered not
suitable for any other  intervention.  Phase I trials were performed by Dr. John
Crew at Seton  Medical  Center in Daly City,  California  and were  completed in
October 1991. In April 1992,  the Company  received  Phase II clearance from the
FDA to perform TMR on 50 patients at four  clinical  sites.  This  clearance was
periodically  expanded to include 201  patients at eight  clinical  sites.  This
study has been  completed and a PMA  application  was filed in February 1997. In
1995,  the FDA granted  three new IDEs for studies of TMR using the Heart Laser.
The first was a 100 patient  randomized study comparing TMR patients to patients
receiving medical management. The second study is a 400 patient randomized trial
comparing TMR patients to patients receiving a second bypass surgery.  The third
is a study comparing  patients  receiving TMR in conjunction with bypass surgery
to patients receiving only conventional bypass surgery.

         Since April 1992, the Company has received nine U.S.  patents  relating
to the underlying laser  technology,  the use of a laser on a beating heart, the
Heart Laser handpiece, and other laser accessories. The Company also has 16 U.S.
patent applications pending that cover various aspects of the technology for the
Heart  Laser  and the  process  by  which a laser is used to  revascularize  the
myocardium, as well as other laser technologies. The Company also holds a number
of foreign patents and patent applications.

         The  Company  was  incorporated  pursuant to the Company Act of British
Columbia,   Canada  on  March  3,  1987  and  has  its  principal   offices  and
manufacturing  facilities at 10 Forge Park,  Franklin,  Massachusetts 02038. The
Company's telephone number is (508) 541-8800. As used herein, the term "Company"
means,  unless the context requires  otherwise,  PLC and its  subsidiaries,  PLC
Medical  Systems,  Inc., PLC Sistemas Medicos  Internacionais  Lda, PLC Sistemas
Medicos  Internacionais GmbH, PLC Medical Systems AG, PLC Medical Systems France
and PLC Medical Systems Asia/Pacific Pte Ltd.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND CURRENT THERAPIES

         Cardiovascular  disease is the leading  cause of death in the U.S. with
more than 950,000 deaths annually.  This represents over 40% of all U.S. deaths.
Over 11 million  Americans  suffer from coronary  heart disease with 350,000 new
cases every year. Atherosclerosis,  the principal form of cardiovascular disease
and  primary  cause  of  heart  attacks,   is  characterized  by  a  progressive
accumulation  of fatty  deposits  known as "plaque" in the walls of arteries and
the resulting narrowing of the interior of the arteries. Atherosclerosis reduces
blood flow to the muscle wall ("myocardium") of the heart,  causing ischemia and
resulting angina pain and can further lead to a complete occlusion of the artery
causing a heart attack.  According to the 1997 Heart and Stroke Facts Statistics
published by the American Heart Association (the "AHA"),  approximately  501,000
coronary  bypass  operations  were  performed  on 318,000  patients  and 404,000
balloon angioplasty procedures were performed in the U.S. on 394,000 patients in
1994.  The AHA  estimates the cost of  cardiovascular  disease in 1997 at $259.1
billion,  including  physician and nursing  services,  hospital and nursing home
services,   the  cost  of  medications  and  lost  productivity  resulting  from
disability.

         Management  believes  TMR  utilizing  the  Heart  Laser  may  provide a
superior treatment for atherosclerosis  which is intended to lessen the risk and
improve the results compared to more traditional treatments.  TMR is designed to
be less  invasive  and less  expensive  than bypass  surgery,  and may avoid the
restenosis  problem inherent with bypass surgery and balloon  angioplasty by not
targeting the coronary arteries for treatment.


                                        5





         Traditional   treatment  of  atherosclerosis   includes  drug  therapy,
coronary  bypass surgery and  angioplasty.  Drug therapy  alleviates some of the
symptoms of  atherosclerosis  but is often ineffective in serious cases.  Bypass
surgery involves cutting open the patient's chest,  cutting through the sternum,
connecting the patient to a heart-lung machine and stopping the heart, attaching
a vein or artery  removed from another  part of the  patient's  body to create a
bypass  around the  diseased  blood  vessel and  restarting  the heart.  Current
methods of bypass surgery typically cost between $25,000 to $45,000 and requires
prolonged  hospitalization and extensive recuperation periods.  Certain patients
are not  suitable for bypass  procedures,  including  those who have  previously
undergone bypass surgeries,  patients with extremely diffuse diseases,  patients
with vessels  that are too small to graft,  patients  with  chronic  obstructive
pulmonary disease, some diabetics, and others who are too ill to survive the use
of a heart lung machine.

         A less invasive  alternative to bypass surgery is balloon  angioplasty.
The most common form of angioplasty involves the use of balloon-tipped catheters
inserted  into a  diseased  artery.  By  inflating  the  balloon  at the site of
blockage  ("lesion"),  the arterial  plaque can be pressed  against the arterial
walls and  reshaped,  resulting  in  increased  blood  flow.  Because it is less
traumatic and less costly,  balloon angioplasty is preferred over bypass surgery
when the blockages are not complicated and involve few coronary arteries.  While
offering certain benefits compared to bypass surgery,  certain studies including
the 1991 Coronary Artery Descriptors and Restenosis Study ("CADRE") and the 1993
Emory  Angioplasty vs. Surgery Trial ("EAST") suggest  restenosis or reocclusion
is  a  serious   problem   with   traditional   angioplasty   treatment.   Newer
angioplasty-type  treatment includes atherectomy devices and stents. Atherectomy
involves the use of a catheter  that  contains a rotating  mechanical  device to
cut,  grind away and remove the plaque.  Metallic  stents are inserted  into the
artery to permanently dilate the vessel.

         In addition to the more conventional  treatment  described above, there
are a number of newer  treatments  and therapies  including  minimally  invasive
direct coronary artery bypass  ("MIDCAB") and "trap door" coronary bypass.  Some
of these  techniques may offer certain  improvements in relation to conventional
bypass treatments.  Management believes that TMR can be used in conjunction with
these less  invasive  procedures  to more  effectively  revascularize  the heart
muscle.

TMR UTILIZING THE HEART LASER

         The main  challenge in treating  atherosclerosis  is to allow  adequate
blood to flow to the heart  muscle  without  significantly  damaging  the heart.
Conventional and newer techniques described above are used to bypass,  reopen or
widen blocked or narrowed  arteries and could  eventually fail due to restenosis
or natural disease  progression.  TMR using the Heart Laser involves a different
technique where channels are created into the myocardium as a means of supplying
oxygen-rich   blood  from  the  left  ventricular   chamber  into  the  ischemic
myocardium. TMR does not target the coronary arteries for treatment.

         Heart muscle, like all tissues of the body, must be constantly supplied
with  oxygen  in order to  function  effectively.  Oxygen  is  delivered  to the
myocardium by the blood,  which is  distributed  to the  myocardium  through the
right and left coronary arteries. If these arteries are narrowed or blocked as a
result of atherosclerosis,  oxygen-rich blood cannot supply the metabolic demand
of the  myocardium.  Cardiovascular  disease  eventually  may  cause  myocardial
ischemia,  often  evidenced  by severe and  debilitating  angina or chest  pains
caused by lack of oxygen to the heart  muscle,  which can progress to myocardial
infarction  (the death of an area of the heart  muscle).  Advanced  multi vessel
ischemic heart disease is typically treated with bypass surgery.

         During the TMR procedure, the patient is given general anaesthesia.  An
incision is made in the patient's side between the ribs, exposing the heart. The
laser's output is computer  synchronized  with the patient's  heartbeat,  firing
when the left  ventricle is filled with blood and is  electrically  insensitive.
The Company believes that synchronization  minimizes arrhythmia (irregular heart
beat)  and  associated  morbidity  and  mortality.  In  fact,  research  studies
conducted by the Texas Heart Institute indicated that failure to synchronize may
lead to an 18 time increase in life threatening arrhythmia.  The synchronization
is covered

                                        6





under a patent  owned by the  Company and is  accomplished  using an EKG monitor
located on the laser and a computer used to control the laser system.  The Heart
Laser is capable of drilling a transmural channel in less than 0.05 seconds in a
patient  whose heart has not been stopped and who has not been placed on a heart
lung  machine.  The  surgeon can vary the pulse width of the laser using a touch
key control  panel to  accommodate  for the  thickness  of the  patient's  heart
muscle.  Transesophageal  (TEE)  ultrasound  is used to determine  that complete
channels are made by the laser. Generally, 20-40 new channels are drilled during
the procedure to create new alternative  channels for blood flow to the ischemic
heart  muscle.  Each TMR  procedure  requires a  sterile,  single  use,  TMR kit
containing a lens cell,  assorted TMR hand pieces,  EKG  electrodes,  drapes and
other disposable items.

         In accordance with the FDA protocol governing the multi-center Phase II
trial,  all of the 201  study  patients  treated  with  the TMR  procedure  were
critically  ill with  extensive  coronary  artery  disease and were not suitable
candidates  for  coronary  bypass or  angioplasty  revascularization  due to the
severity  of their  coronary  artery  disease.  Of the 201  study  patients,  15
patients  died  within 30 days of the  surgery  and 17 died during the 12 months
follow-up  period.  An additional  seven  patients died of other  reasons.  This
mortality  rate is well within the  mortality  range for second  bypass  surgery
despite  the fact that the TMR  patients  were much  sicker  than  those who are
typically eligible for a second bypass surgery.  Physician reports indicate that
none of these deaths were directly related to the TMR procedure.

         In July of 1995,  the Company began a multi-center  randomized  control
study  comparing TMR using the Heart Laser to continued  medical therapy for the
treatment of end stage coronary artery disease in patients who were not suitable
candidates for coronary bypass or angioplasty revascularization. For this study,
the FDA  authorized a 350 patient  enrollment  at 20 clinical  sites.  Following
submission  by the  Company  of  preliminary  study  results,  the FDA ended the
randomization  process of the study in September  1996,  allowing all subsequent
patients  enrolled in the study to receive TMR  treatment.  Of the 198  patients
randomized  into the study, 97 patients have received TMR treatment and 101 were
placed in the control arm of the study. Three of the 97 TMR patients died within
30 days of the surgery.  As of March 1997,  nine TMR patients died during the 12
month follow-up  period. An additional three TMR patients died of other reasons.
As of March 1997, 18 of the 101 patients  randomized  to the medical  management
group died.

         After the one year follow-up, the Company was no longer required by the
FDA to ask patients to come in for regular testing,  however, these patients are
followed informally.  In fact, one of the early patients remains angina free six
years following the TMR procedure. Recent technical advances in echocardiography
technology  has made it  possible  to  visualize  blood flow in TMR  channels at
follow-up.  These clinical findings confirm previous  postmortem  examination on
two TMR patients treated with the Heart Laser which showed that the TMR channels
were still open after three and twelve  months.  These  channels were active and
collateral growth (growth of new blood vessels) had occurred.

         Under the most  recent FDA  protocols,  patient  selection  for the TMR
procedure has been expanded to include patients,  who while still challenging to
treat are not necessarily considered end-stage coronary artery disease patients.
The new FDA protocols  include expanded  applications for TMR (in lieu of repeat
bypass  surgery  or in  conjunction  with a  bypass  surgery).  Internationally,
doctors have  regularly been  performing  the TMR procedure in conjunction  with
traditional as well as MIDCAB bypass surgery. In certain countries in the Middle
East,  TMR is being  employed as a first line  intervention  in the treatment of
coronary artery disease.



                                        7





POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF TMR

         Based on clinical  results to date, the Company believes that TMR using
the Heart Laser  provides a number of  benefits,  although no  assurance  can be
given that any of the  mentioned  benefits  will be received by patients  and no
assurance  can be  given  that the FDA  will  approve  the  Heart  Laser.  These
anticipated benefits include:

         Potentially a Third Revascularization Option. In the future, TMR may be
used on patients as an option to bypass or angioplasty procedures.

         Therapy for Patients Not  Suitable for Coronary  Bypass.  TMR may allow
patients who would otherwise not be suitable for coronary  bypass  surgery,  and
for whom other  surgical or  interventional  techniques  may not be available or
advisable to alleviate the effects of atherosclerotic illness.

         Potential  Use in  Conjunction  with Both  Conventional  and  Minimally
Invasive Coronary Bypass.  TMR may allow the surgeon to provide oxygenated blood
to areas of the heart muscle that are not accessible by coronary  bypass grafts.
With the advent of the "trap-door"  procedure where coronary artery bypass graft
surgery is performed on a beating heart, management believes that TMR will be an
effective  complement to this  procedure.  TMR can be performed on the anterior,
posterior and lateral walls of the heart while the "trap-door" procedure usually
is only performed on the anterior wall of the heart.

         Potentially Lower Medical Costs.  Management believes the medical costs
associated  with TMR  using  the  Heart  Laser  will be less  than the  costs of
traditional   bypass  surgery  which  requires  a  larger  surgical  team,  more
supporting equipment and a longer hospital stay.  Management currently estimates
that the total cost for the TMR procedure will be approximately half of the cost
of  bypass  surgery.  The cost of TMR in some  situations  may also be less than
angioplasty  when  combinations  of  additional   devices  such  as  atherectomy
catheters, stents or intravascular ultrasound are required.

         Potentially  Quicker Recovery.  Since TMR using the Heart Laser is less
invasive and does not involve  stopping and starting the heart,  the patient may
recover more quickly than if  conventional  bypass  techniques  were used,  with
potentially  reduced risk of  complications  compared with the risks  associated
with bypass surgery.

         Potentially  Minimally  Invasive  Surgery.   Management  believes  that
development of a thoracoscopic delivery device, which is currently being tested,
would allow TMR to be performed less  invasively.  Testing to date has been very
encouraging.  Management  believes that a  thoracoscopic  delivery  device could
potentially reduce complication risks and the length of hospital stay as well as
provide a further reduction in hospital and post operative costs.

         Not Dependent on Plaque Type or Location and  Potentially  Less Risk of
Restenosis.  Unlike angioplasty,  atherectomy  devices and stents,  which may be
more or less effective, depending on the composition,  extent or location of the
plaque occluding the artery and which have evidenced high restenosis  rates, TMR
is not dependent upon plaque type or location. Preliminary results from patients
treated with TMR suggest  less risk that the new  channels  created by the laser
will become narrowed or blocked due to restenosis.

         Potential Therapy for Heart Transplant Patients.  Management expects to
submit an  application  for an IDE to study  the  results  of TMR on  transplant
patients suffering from chronic rejection atherosclerosis.
Presently, the only treatment for this condition is re-transplantation.





                                        8





DEVELOPMENT OF MARKETING STRATEGY

         The Company's  strategy is to establish TMR using the Heart Laser as an
appropriate   means  of  treating  patients   suffering  from   atherosclerosis.
Currently,  the Heart Laser is an investigational  device in the U.S. and cannot
be marketed as a commercial product.  The Heart Laser is commercially  available
outside the U.S. with the exception of Japan, Australia and certain countries in
Southeast  Asia,  where  governmental  approval  for  commercialization  is also
required.

         The Company has also developed a number of single use surgical products
to be used with the Heart Laser in performing TMR to address concerns  regarding
the spread of infections.  The Company sells sterile,  single use, TMR procedure
kits containing  components such as a lens holder,  a set of handpieces,  drapes
and other TMR single use items.  The  Company  also  intends to sell  individual
handpieces. The Heart Laser handpieces have been incorporated under the IDE with
the Heart Laser. In addition,  the Company is seeking patent protection on these
handpieces.

         The  Company  has  developed  a  marketing   strategy  to  address  the
difficulties of marketing high dollar capital equipment. In markets with minimal
credit risk,  economic  stability,  where health care is  reimbursed,  and where
government  regulations  permit,  the  Company  intends to market TMR on a usage
basis  whereby the  hospital  would  receive a Heart  Laser for an  installation
charge  and would pay the  Company  for the use of the  machine  each time a TMR
procedure is performed.  The use of the machine would be subject to  contractual
yearly  minimums for a defined  period of time with renewal  options.  The Heart
Laser  would  remain  the  property  of the  Company  and would be  depreciated.
Repairs,  maintenance,  upgrades and disposables would be the  responsibility of
the Company.  The Company  refers to this approach as a placement  contract.  In
unstable  economic markets where credit risks are high, the Company's plan would
be to sell the Heart Laser outright as capital equipment. The disposable sterile
kits would be sold for each procedure,  along with yearly maintenance  contracts
after expiration of the applicable  warranty  period.  There is no single retail
price for the Company's Heart Laser. The Company has several different marketing
strategies   to  sell  this  product   line   depending   upon  the   particular
circumstances,  including direct sales, sales through distributors and placement
(leasing)  type sale.  Pricing varies  depending  upon the particular  marketing
strategy used and the country in which the Heart Laser is sold.

         United  States.  The Company's  strategy is to obtain PMA approval from
the FDA for the Heart Laser  initially  for  patients  who are not  suitable for
bypass surgery or other interventions. The Company submitted its PMA application
for this indication in April 1995 which  subsequently  received expedited review
status in May 1995.  This  application  was filed by the FDA in  February  1997.
Given the current uncertainties on the time required by the FDA to approve a PMA
application,  the Company cannot project when, if at all, such approval would be
received.  While this PMA application is being evaluated by the FDA, the Company
expects to  continue  to study the  effectiveness  of the Heart  Laser for other
indications.  In the second quarter of 1995, the Company  received  clearance to
conduct a  randomized  clinical  trial on 400  patients  who would  normally  be
treated  with a repeat  bypass  surgery.  The  Company  also  recently  received
clearance to conduct a patient  feasibility study comparing patients who receive
TMR  in  conjunction  with  bypass  surgery  to  patients  who  receive  only  a
conventional  bypass  surgery.  Additional  IDE's  to  study  TMR on  transplant
patients and to study TMR performed  through a thoracoscope  are anticipated for
the near future.  As these  studies are  completed,  the Company will submit the
results to the FDA as a PMA  supplement to expand the approved  indications  for
the Heart Laser.  The Company hopes to  eventually  request FDA clearance to use
the Heart Laser as an  alternative  treatment  for first  bypass or  angioplasty
patients,  although no  assurance  can be given that such FDA  approval  will be
granted. (See "Government Regulation")

         The Company  presently  intends to utilize a direct  sales force in the
United States to market the Heart Laser to hospitals.  In the fourth  quarter of
1995,  the  Company  hired a Vice  President  of  Sales  and  Marketing  for the
Americas,  a sales management team was hired in the fourth quarter of 1996 and a
launch  campaign  is  currently  being  established  in  anticipation  of an FDA
approval of the Heart Laser.


                                        9





         International.  The Company  currently markets its Heart Laser overseas
both  directly  and through  distributors.  In the fourth  quarter of 1994,  the
Company incorporated an EC subsidiary,  PLC Sistemas Medicos Internacionais Lda,
in  Madeira,  Portugal  and in the  first  quarter  of  1996  a  subsidiary  was
incorporated  in  Hamburg,  Germany as a sales  office to market the Heart Laser
throughout  Europe  and the Middle  East.  In the  fourth  quarter of 1996,  the
Company incorporated two additional  subsidiaries in Switzerland and France. All
of the  European  subsidiaries  include  sales,  service  and  clinical  support
personnel.

         PLC  received  the CE Mark for the Heart Laser in the third  quarter of
1995. The CE Mark indicates that a product conforms to mandatory European safety
and efficacy  requirements.  The  approval  allows the Company to sell the Heart
Laser commercially in all European Community  countries.  In the spring of 1996,
the Company began to pursue ISO 9001 as set out by the  International  Standards
Organization which will be required by the European Community in 1998.

         The Company hired a Managing Director for the Far East and Australia in
February 1995 to increase sales and marketing efforts of the Heart Laser in this
part of the world through both direct sales and the use of distributors.  In the
third quarter of 1995, the Company  signed a distributor  agreement with IMATRON
Japan to manage, fund and distribute the Heart Laser in accordance with Ministry
of Health and Welfare ("MHW") clinical trials to be conducted in Japan.  IMATRON
Japan has informed the Company that the earliest MHW approval would occur, if at
all,  is in late  1997.  IMATRON  Japan is just one among  several  distributors
working  with PLC in the  Asia/Pacific  territory.  The Company  incorporated  a
subsidiary  in  Singapore  in the  fourth  quarter  of 1996 to handle  sales and
service for that area of the world.

         As of December 31, 1996, the Company had shipped 55 Heart Lasers to the
international  markets which include 32 to the Europe and Middle East, 19 to the
Asia/Pacific and four to South America.  Foreign sales may be subject to certain
risks, including foreign medical, electrical and safety regulations,  export and
import restrictions, tariffs and currency fluctuations.

CUSTOMERS

         The  Company  operates  in  one  industry  segment:   the  development,
manufacture  and sales of medical lasers and related  products.  No one customer
accounted for more than 10% of revenues in Fiscal 1996,  one customer  accounted
for more than 43% of revenues in Fiscal  1995 and  approximately  30% of product
revenues in Fiscal 1994 came from two  customers  accounting  for 16% and 14% of
total revenues.  In 1995, the customer,  the Company's exclusive  distributor in
Japan, purchased six Heart Lasers. In 1994, one customer purchased a Heart Laser
directly from the Company and the second  customer was a distributor  purchasing
two Heart Lasers.  Management  does not believe that the possible lack of future
relationships with any of these customers will have a material adverse effect on
future revenues.

MANUFACTURING

         The Company  manufactures  and tests its products at its 37,000  square
foot facility in Franklin, Massachusetts, approximately 40 miles west of Boston.
The Company  moved to this  facility in  September  1996 and  believes  that its
manufacturing capacity will be sufficient to meet the market demands anticipated
upon PMA approval.

         The Company purchases  components for its laser systems and its related
disposables  from a  number  of  sources,  and  management  believes  that  most
components are available from multiple  sources.  For those  components that are
single sourced,  management has entered into exclusive supplier agreements which
provide  access to  technologies,  processes and bills of material to enable the
Company to manufacture  the  components or to have the  components  manufactured
elsewhere.  The  Company's  manufacturing  facilities  are  subject to  periodic
inspection   by  regulatory   authorities   to  ensure   compliance   with  good
manufacturing

                                       10





practices  ("GMP")  compliance  inspections  conducted by the FDA. The Company's
business is not subject to seasonal fluctuations.

GOVERNMENT REGULATION

         The Heart Laser,  as well as other  medical  devices that have been and
are being developed by the Company,  are subject to extensive  regulation by the
FDA.  Pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended,  the FDA
regulates  the  clinical  testing,  manufacture,   labeling,   distribution  and
promotion  of medical  devices in the U.S.  The  Company's  laser  products  are
subject to additional FDA regulation under the Radiation  Control for Health and
Safety Act of 1968, which imposes labeling and other safety requirements related
to  radiation  hazards.  In  addition,  various  foreign  countries in which the
Company's products are or may be sold impose additional regulatory requirements.

         The Heart Laser  requires a PMA. The first step in the PMA  application
process is the submission to the FDA of the results of product tests, laboratory
and animal  studies and a request for  permission  to  clinically  evaluate  the
device in humans under an IDE.  Initiation of the study requires the approval of
the  Institutional  Review Board of the hospitals  participating in the clinical
trials and written, informed consent from all participating patients.

         After  submitting an IDE  application  with the FDA in March 1990,  the
Company received agency  permission to conduct a Phase I clinical  evaluation of
the Heart Laser in November 1990,  although TMR procedures using the Heart Laser
were conducted with the FDA's consent as early as January 1990. Dr. John Crew, a
member of the Company's  Medical  Advisory  Board,  performed all of the Phase I
tests of TMR  using  the  Heart  Laser at Seton  Medical  Center  in Daly  City,
California. The Company submitted a Phase II supplement with the FDA in December
1991,  which was  allowed  in April  1992.  Under  Phase II, up to 16 sites were
permitted  to use the Heart Laser which lead to the  treatment  of 201  patients
with TMR, rather than the one site used for Phase I on 15 patients. The Phase II
study protocol  involved patients who suffer from severe coronary artery disease
and who were not candidates for conventional CABG or angioplasty procedures. The
sites for Phase II testing are sites which  perform a large number of open heart
procedures and are experienced in taking part in clinical trials.

         In May 1995, the Company  received  expedited review status for its PMA
application. The FDA grants expedited review status for medical devices intended
for  use  in the  following  circumstances;  life  threatening  or  irreversible
debilitating condition with no alternative  modalities,  or for which the device
provides an earlier diagnosis, a revolutionary  breakthrough device, or a device
whose availability is in the best interest of public health.

         In July of 1995, the Company began a randomized control study comparing
TMR with the Heart  Laser to  continued  medical  therapy  on end stage  cardiac
patients (Phase III). The FDA permitted this study to be carried out at up to 20
sites with enrollment of 350 patients.  Based on the early results of this study
submitted to the FDA in August of 1996, the FDA ended the  randomization  of the
Phase III study in  September  1996  allowing  all future  patients  enrolled to
receive TMR with the Heart Laser.

         In  December  1996,  the  Company  submitted  an  amendment  to its PMA
application  to update and close the Phase II study with twelve  month follow up
on all enrolled patients (201) as well as including all the most current data on
all patients  enrolled in the Phase III study.  On February  18,  1997,  the FDA
filed the  Company's PMA as it determined  that  adequate  information  had been
submitted  to allow a  substantive  review and to commit its  resources  to this
review through the remaining review process.

         The Company  intends to submit future Heart Laser  improvements  to the
FDA under IDE or PMA supplements.  PMA supplements require the submission of the
same type of  information  as required  for a PMA  application,  but because the
supplements need only contain sufficient information to support the change, they
generally  are more  brief  and the FDA  attempts  to act upon them in a shorter
period of time,

                                       11





usually  without an advisory  panel  review.  However,  the FDA may require full
review and no assurance can be given that approval from the FDA will be received
on a timely basis, if at all.

         International  shipments of investigational medical devices are subject
to FDA export requirements.  In September 1995, the Company received the CE Mark
under the European Medical Device Directive.  The CE certification was forwarded
to the FDA whereupon the FDA granted the Company  permission to export the Heart
Laser to any country within the European  Community.  For all other countries to
which the  Company  wishes  to export  the Heart  Laser,  it must  first  obtain
documentation  from the medical  device  regulatory  authority  of such  country
stating  that the  sale of the  device  is not in  violation  of that  country's
medical  device laws.  This  documentation  is then  submitted to the FDA with a
request for a permit for export to that country.  The regulatory  review process
varies from country to country.  Through  December  1996,  the Company  received
permission  to ship the Heart Laser into 27  countries  and  continues to obtain
approval to ship into new foreign countries according to all the requirements of
the FDA and the new host country.

         The  Company  is also  required  to  register  with the FDA as a device
manufacturer  and to list its  devices.  As such,  the  Company  is  subject  to
inspection on a routine  basis for  compliance  with the FDA's GMP  regulations.
These regulations require that the Company manufacture its products and maintain
its documents in a prescribed manner with respect to manufacturing,  testing and
control  activities.  The last such inspection  occurred on October 3, 1988. The
Company  anticipates  that future GMP  inspections may be more frequent and more
rigorous.   Further,  the  Company  is  required  to  comply  with  various  FDA
requirements for labeling.  The Medical Device Reporting Act regulations require
that the Company  provide  information  to the FDA on death or serious  injuries
alleged to have been  associated  with the use of its laser systems,  as well as
product  malfunctions  that would likely cause or contribute to death or serious
injury if the  malfunction  were to recur.  The FDA also  prohibits  an approved
device  from being  marketed  for  unapproved  applications.  In addition to the
requirements  generally applicable to devices,  there are additional  regulatory
requirements  specifically  applicable to lasers under the Radiation Control for
Health and Safety Act of 1968 ("Radiation Act") and FDA regulations  thereunder.
The  Company's  laser  products  are  subject to periodic  inspection  under the
Radiation Act for compliance with labeling and other safety regulations.  If the
FDA believes that a company is not in compliance  with the law,  proceedings can
be instituted to detain or seize products or force  notification  and correction
of hazards or defects (including a recall),  enjoin future violations and assess
civil and criminal penalties against the Company, its officers or its employees.
Failure to comply with  regulatory  requirements  could have a material  adverse
effect  on  the  Company's  business,   financial   conditions  and  results  of
operations.

THIRD PARTY REIMBURSEMENTS

         Heath care providers,  such as hospitals and physicians,  that purchase
medical devices such as the Heart Laser for use on their patients generally rely
on third  party  payors,  principally  Medicare,  Medicaid  and  private  health
insurance  plans, to reimburse all or part of the costs and fees associated with
the procedures performed with these devices.

         In November 1995, the FDA designated the Company's IDE for TMR with the
Heart Laser as Category B for the Health Care Financing Administration ("HCFA"),
the  agency   responsible  for   administering   the  Medicare   program.   This
classification  meant  that  procedures  performed  with the  Heart  Laser  were
eligible  for  Medicare  reimbursement  during  the  clinical  trials.  The rule
allowing  coverage for Category B devices  left the coverage  determination  for
procedures   involving  those  devices  to  the  discretion  of  local  Medicare
contractors, in the absence of a national coverage instruction.

         In February 1997, HCFA published a national noncoverage instruction for
TMR based upon its belief that scientific evidence substantiating the safety and
effectiveness of TMR is not currently  available.  It is not unusual for HCFA to
deny  reimbursement  for procedures  performed  using devices which have not yet
received FDA  approval.  The  noncoverage  instruction  will apply to procedures
performed  on or after May 19, 1997 on Medicare  beneficiaries.  The Company has
been actively working with HCFA staff to seek

                                       12





withdrawal or postponement of the  noncoverage  instruction.  HCFA has agreed to
look at the Company's safety and effectiveness data at the time of the FDA panel
review.

         The Company  believes,  although no  assurance  can be given,  that FDA
approval may be granted this summer,  and that the data  submitted to support an
FDA approval may warrant a withdrawal  of the  noncoverage  instruction  made by
HCFA. The Company is not sure if any reversal in the coverage  instruction  will
be product specific to the Heart Laser or industry-wide  for TMR. The Company is
also discussing the benefits of TMR and the potential  adverse effects of HCFA's
noncoverage  instruction  on the Medicare  population  with selected  members of
Congress.

         Even if a device has FDA  clearance,  Medicare  and other  third  party
payors  may deny  coverage  if they  conclude  that TMR is not both  reasonable,
necessary  and/or  cost-effective.  No  assurance  can be  given  that,  even if
coverage is granted, the payors'  reimbursement levels will not adversely affect
the Company's  ability to sell its products.  The Company  believes that private
insurance companies and HMO's have already made reimbursement for TMR procedures
performed in some cases during its Phase II clinical  trial.  The market for the
Company's  products also could be adversely  affected by future  legislation  to
reform the  nation's  health  care  system or by changes in  industry  practices
regarding reimbursement policies and procedures.

PRODUCT LIABILITY AND INSURANCE

         The Company's  business  involves the risk of product liability claims.
No claims have been made against the Heart Laser to date. The Company  maintains
product  liability  insurance with aggregate  coverage limits of $4 million.  No
assurance  can be given that  product  liability  claims  will not  exceed  such
insurance  coverage  limits,  which could have a material  adverse effect on the
Company,  or that such  insurance will be available at  commercially  reasonable
terms or at all.

PROPRIETARY PROCESSES, PATENTS, LICENSES AND OTHER RIGHTS

         The  Company's  policy  is  to  file  patent  applications  to  protect
technology,  inventions  and product  improvements.  The Company  also relies on
trade secret protection for certain confidential and proprietary information.

         Since April 1992,  the Company has  received  eleven U.S.  patents,  of
which nine  involve  the Heart  Laser and its  related  technologies.  The first
patent,  which was issued in April 1992,  provides patent  protection until 2009
and relates to the underlying laser technology  needed to create a pulsed,  fast
flow  laser  system  (allowing  the laser gas to flow  through  the laser to the
vacuum  at high  speed).  The  second  patent,  which was  issued in June  1992,
provides  patent  protection  until 2009 and  relates to the use of a laser on a
beating heart to revascularize the heart using TMR. The third patent,  which was
also issued in June 1992,  provides patent  protection until 2009 and relates to
the system used to time the heart's contractions to synchronize the laser firing
at the correct time. The fourth patent, which was issued in April 1993, provides
patent protection until 2010 and relates to the Heart Laser handpiece,  which is
used to deliver  the laser  energy to the  heart.  The fifth  patent,  which was
issued in June 1993,  provides  patent  protection  until 2010 and  relates to a
specialized  laser beam  manipulator used for  conventional  laser surgery.  The
sixth patent, which was issued in October 1993, provides patent protection until
2010 and relates to a self-aligning  coupler for a laser endoscope.  The seventh
patent,  which was issued in August 1994,  provides patent protection until 2011
and relates to the  synchronization  of a surgical  smoke  evacuator  to a laser
system or other medical  device.  The eighth  patent,  which was issued in April
1996,  provides  patent  protection  until 2013 and relates to the use of an ECG
monitor.  The ninth patent,  which was issued in September 1996, provides patent
protection until 2013 and relates to medical laser technology. The tenth patent,
which was issued in January  1997,  provides  patent  protection  until 2014 and
relates to the Heart Laser handpiece.  The eleventh patent,  which was issued in
April 1997,  provides patent  protection until 2014 and relates to the lens cell
for the Heart Laser.  The Company also has 13 U.S. patent  applications  pending
relating to the Heart Laser handpiece, other technology used in the Heart Laser,
technology  associated  with  minimally  surgical  techniques  and  technologies
associated with percutaneous TMR.

                                       13





         In April 1996, the Company  received  patents from the European  Patent
Office and the Japanese Patent Office providing  patent  protection on its heart
synchronization technology.  Additional Japanese issued patents cover laser beam
manipulation  and a laser beam status  indicator.  In December 1996 a patent was
issued in Canada  covering a self aligning  coupler for a laser  endoscope.  The
Company has 30 patents  pending related to the Heart Laser and its components in
various  international  patent  offices.  The Company intends to file additional
patent  applications  overseas in the next year. The Company expects to continue
to file  domestic and foreign  patent  applications  on various  features of the
Heart Laser, although there can be no assurance that any additional patents will
be issued.

         In September 1996, CardioGenesis Corporation, ("CardioGenesis") filed a
civil lawsuit in the United States  District Court seeking to have the Company's
synchronization patent declared invalid, or, alternatively,  asking the court to
determine whether  CardioGenesis  infringes on this patent. In October 1996, the
Company filed an answer and counterclaim  alleging that CardioGenesis  infringes
on this patent. (See "Item 3. Legal Proceedings")

         In January 1997,  CardioGenesis  Corporation,  filed a challenge to the
Company's European  synchronization  patent in the European Patent Office and in
March 1997, the Company  filed its response.  In  addition,  in April 1997,  the
Company filed an infringement lawsuit against CardioGenesis in the German courts
alleging  infringement  of its  synchronization  patent.  (See  "Item  3.  Legal
Proceedings")

         Although  the Company  believes  its  patents to be strong,  successful
litigation  against these patents by a competitor  could have a material adverse
effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.
No  assurance  can be given  that the  existing  patents  will be held  valid if
challenged,  that any additional patents will be issued or that the scope of any
patent  protection  will exclude  competitors.  The breadth of claims in medical
technology patents involve complex legal and factual issues and therefore can be
highly uncertain.

         The Company  also relies upon  unpatented  proprietary  technology  and
trade  secrets  that it  seeks to  protect,  in  part,  through  confidentiality
agreements  with  employees  and other  parties.  No assurance can be given that
these  agreements  will not be  breached,  that the Company  will have  adequate
remedies for any breach, that others will not independently develop or otherwise
acquire  substantially  equivalent  proprietary  technology and trade secrets or
disclose such technology or that the Company can meaningfully protect its rights
in such unpatented technology.  In addition,  others may hold or receive patents
which contain claims that may cover products developed by the Company.

         The Company believes its patents to be valid and enforceable.  However,
there has been substantial  litigation  regarding patent and other  intellectual
property rights in the medical device industry.  Litigation,  which could result
in substantial cost to and diversion of effort by the Company,  may be necessary
to enforce  patents issued to the Company,  to protect trade secrets or know-how
owned by the Company, to defend the Company against claimed  infringement of the
rights of others and to  determine  the scope and  validity  of the  proprietary
rights of others. Adverse determinations in litigation could subject the Company
to significant  liabilities to third parties,  could require the Company to seek
licenses from third  parties and could  prevent the Company from  manufacturing,
selling or using its products, any of which could have a material adverse effect
on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

         In February  1996,  the Company  filed suit  against  Eclipse  Surgical
Technologies,  Inc.  ("Eclipse")  in the United  States  District  Court for the
District of Massachusetts alleging copyright infringement of certain copyrighted
works  and  unfair  and  deceptive   trade   practices.   (See  "Item  3.  Legal
Proceedings")

         The Company  believes that trademarks may be important to its business.
The Company  has a U.S.  registered  trademark  for "THE HEART LASER AND DESIGN"
which was issued on December 19, 1995 and three  foreign  registered  trademarks
for "THE HEART  LASER,"  which were issued on  September  9, 1991 in France,  on
March 29, 1993 in Switzerland and on March 31, 1994 in Japan. Additionally, the

                                       14





Company has three  pending  U.S.  trademark  applications  for "TMR and DESIGN",
"HEART DESIGN" and "TMR TRANSMYOCARDIAL REVASCULARIZATION and Design" which were
filed on July 13, 1995, July 20, 1995 and July 24, 1995  respectively.  There is
one pending  foreign  trademark  application for "THE HEART LASER AND DESIGN" in
Germany.

COMPETITION

         Many treatments are available for coronary artery disease.  The Company
believes that if the Heart Laser receives approval for expanded indications, the
Heart Laser may be able to successfully compete with some of these technologies.

         The Company is aware of several  other  companies  who have entered the
TMR market or have announced  their  intention to enter the TMR market.  Most of
these companies are using holmium lasers, two are using an excimer laser and the
third company  recently  announced its intention to develop a CO2 laser for TMR.
Most of these  companies  are in the early  stages of  clinical  tests or in the
development  of  clinical  testing.  To date,  the  Company  is not aware of any
published,  peer reviewed results  suggesting that either of these laser sources
are effective in performing TMR on humans. The Company is investigating  whether
these competitors violate in any way, existing patents issued to the Company and
has brought claims against  CardioGenesis  in both the U.S. and in Europe.  (See
"Proprietary  Processes,   Patents,   Licenses  and  Other  Rights"  and  "Legal
Proceedings")

         Several of the companies who have entered the TMR market are developing
percutaneous methods of performing TMR. To date, the Company is not aware of any
published, peer reviewed results suggesting that these approaches are effective.
The Company is currently  developing a proprietary  percutaneous program using a
CO2 laser.

         The  Company  believes  that the  primary  competitive  factors  in the
medical  treatment of coronary  artery  disease are clinical  efficacy,  product
safety and  reliability,  product  quality,  innovation,  price,  reputation for
quality,  customer  service  and  ease of use.  The  Company  believes  that its
competitive  success  will be  based  on its  ability  to  create  and  maintain
scientifically  advanced  technology,  attract and retain scientific  personnel,
obtain patent or other protection for its products,  obtain required  regulatory
approvals and manufacture and  successfully  market its products either directly
or through outside  parties.  If a PMA is granted under expedited  review in the
current  year,  management  expects  that the Heart Laser would be the first FDA
approved  TMR device and should  enjoy a  significant  market lead time over its
competitors. No assurance can be given however that a PMA will be granted in the
current year, if at all, and if granted, that it would necessarily be in advance
of any  competitors  or  provide  the  Company  with a  sustainable  competitive
advantage.

         If the FDA  grants a PMA for TMR  using the Heart  Laser,  the  Company
believes  that  the  primary   competitive  factors  within  the  interventional
cardiovascular  market are the ability to treat safely and  effectively  various
types of coronary  disease,  physician  familiarity  with and  acceptance of the
procedure,  third party  reimbursement  policies and to a lesser extent, ease of
product use, product reliability, and price.

         The medical  care  products  industry  is  characterized  by  extensive
research  efforts  and  rapid  technological   progress.  New  technologies  and
developments  are  expected  to continue  at a rapid pace in both  industry  and
academia. Competition in the market for surgical lasers and for the treatment of
cardiovascular  disease is  intense  and is  expected  to  increase.  Management
believes  that the Heart Laser,  if approved  for general sale by the FDA,  will
compete primarily with conventional coronary bypass, balloon angioplasty and new
coronary  procedures  (including  atherectomy,  laser  angioplasty  and metallic
stents).  Many of the companies  manufacturing  these devices have substantially
greater  capital,  as well as  greater  research  and  development,  regulatory,
manufacturing  and  marketing  resources  and  experience  than the  Company and
represent significant competition for the Company. Such companies may succeed in
developing  products that are more effective or less costly in treating coronary
disease than the Heart Laser, and may be more

                                       15





successful than the Company in  manufacturing  and marketing their products.  No
assurance can be given that the Company's competitors or others will not succeed
in developing technologies,  products or procedures that are more effective than
any being developed by the Company or that would render the Company's technology
and products obsolete or  noncompetitive.  Although the Company will continue to
work to develop  new and  advance  existing  products,  the advent of either new
devices or new  pharmaceutical  agents  could  hinder the  Company's  ability to
compete  effectively  and  have a  material  adverse  effect  on  its  business,
financial condition and results of operations.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

         Research and  development  expenses  were  $2,835,000,  $2,246,000  and
$2,211,000 for the years ended December 31, 1996,  1995 and 1994,  respectively.
Although  the  initial  design of the Heart Laser is now  completed,  management
expects  to  continue  to refine the Heart  Laser  design,  to develop  new less
invasive  methods  for  use of the  Heart  Laser  in  TMR  procedures  including
endoscopic and percutaneous  delivery  systems and to fund clinical trials.  The
Company intends to continue to monitor all  technologies  that may be applicable
to TMR to maintain its leadership position in this marketplace.

EMPLOYEES

         As of March 28, 1997 the Company had 64 full-time  domestic  employees,
including  its  executive  officers.  Of these,  13 are  employed in general and
administrative  activities,  nine are  involved in sales and  marketing,  17 are
involved in research and development and 26 are involved in  manufacturing.  The
Company also employs one part-time employee. None of the Company's employees are
represented   by  a  union.   In   addition,   the  Company  has  17  full  time
employees/consultants for its international operations. Management considers its
relations with employees to be satisfactory.

ITEM 2.           DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY.

         In September  1996,  the Company  moved into its current  37,000 square
foot  facility in  Franklin,  Massachusetts  where it  maintains  its  principal
executive offices and manufacturing operations.  The premises are leased from an
independent  third party under a lease which  expires in August 2001.  The lease
provides  for two renewal  periods of three  years  each.  The total base rental
payments  for the term of the lease  are  approximately  $296,400  per year plus
operating and maintenance costs and real estate taxes.

ITEM 3.           LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

         In February 1996, PLC Medical Systems,  Inc. filed suit against Eclipse
Surgical Technologies,  Inc. ("Eclipse") in the United States District Court for
the  District  of  Massachusetts  alleging  copyright  infringement  of  certain
copyrighted  works and unfair and  deceptive  trade  practices.  The  Company is
seeking  injunctive  relief and damages  for,  among other  things,  any profits
derived by Eclipse,  attorney's  fees,  treble  damages and other  relief.  (See
"Propietary Processes, Patents, Licenses and Other Rights")

         In September 1996, CardioGenesis Corporation, ("CardioGenesis") filed a
civil lawsuit in the United States  District Court seeking to have the Company's
synchronization patent declared invalid, or, alternatively,  asking the court to
determine whether  CardioGenesis  infringes on this patent. In October 1996, the
Company filed an answer and counterclaim  alleging that CardioGenesis  infringes
on this  patent.  The  counterclaim  seeks both  injunctive  relief and monetary
damages against CardioGenesis. (See "Propietary Processes, Patents, Licenses and
Other Rights")

         In January 1997,  CardioGenesis  Corporation,  filed a challenge to the
Company's European  synchronization  patent in the European Patent Office and in
March 1997 the Company  filed its  response.  In  addition,  in April 1997,  the
Company filed an infringement lawsuit against CardioGenesis in the German courts
alleging infringement of its synchronization patent. (See "Propietary Processes,
Patents, Licenses and Other Rights")


                                       16





         The  Company  is not  involved  in any other  litigation  of a material
nature.

ITEM 4.           SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.

         Not applicable.

                                     PART II

ITEM 5.           MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER 
                  MATTERS.

         Since September 17, 1992, the Company's  Common Stock has traded on the
American  Stock  Exchange  ("AMEX")  under the symbol "PLC".  From March 3, 1992
through  September  16,  1992,  the  Company's  Common  Stock was  traded on the
over-the-counter  market through the National  Association of Securities Dealers
Automated  Quotation System ("NASDAQ").  On April 9, 1997 the closing sale price
of the Company's Common Stock as reported by the AMEX was $17.50 per share.

         For the periods  indicated,  the following  table sets for the range of
high and low sale prices for the Common  Stock as reported by AMEX from  January
1, 1995.

                                                                       SALES
                                                                  HIGH       LOW
         1995

         First Quarter .......................................  $6.25      $3.58
         Second Quarter....................................... $11.88      $5.63
         Third Quarter ....................................... $20.63     $12.25
         Fourth Quarter ...................................... $20.38     $15.00

         1996

         First Quarter  ....................................... $34.88    $16.63
         Second Quarter........................................ $33.88    $20.38
         Third Quarter......................................... $28.63    $13.25
         Fourth Quarter........................................ $27.25    $19.63

         1997

         First Quarter ........................................ $27.63    $16.63
         Second Quarter (through April 9, 1997)................ $19.38    $17.25


         As of March 31, 1997,  there were  approximately  596 record holders of
the Company's  Common Stock.  Management  believes that there are  approximately
4,000 beneficial owners of the Company's Common Stock.

DIVIDENDS

         The  Company  has never  paid cash  dividends.  The  Company  currently
intends to retain all future earnings,  if any, for use in its business and does
not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

ITEM 6.  SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA.


                                       17





         The following  selected  financial data with respect to the Company for
the five years ended December 31, 1996,  are derived from the audited  financial
statements  of the  Company.  The data  should be read in  conjunction  with the
financial  statements,  related notes and other financial  information  included
herein.



                                       18



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>


                                              SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
                                 (ALL AMOUNTS ARE IN THOUSANDS EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
                                          For the years ended December 31

                                    1996             1995             1994               1993             1992(a)
                                    ----             ----             ----               ----             -------
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS DATA:
<S>                              <C>                <C>             <C>              <C>             <C>       
Revenue:
Product sales.................   $  9,082           $11,938         $ 5,068          $  3,322        $    2,431

Placement and service fees....      2,790             1,407             111               --                --

Costs and Expenses:
Cost of product sales.........      2,911             4,177           2,851             2,982             2,096

Cost of placement and service fees  1,155               386              17               --               --

Selling, general and administrative 7,023             5,035           3,030             2,637             2,712

Research and development .....      2,835             2,246           2,211             1,930               910

Write-off of purchased technology     --                --              --               --              24,287

Write-off of royalty interest.         --               --              --               --                 375
                              ------------    -------------   --------------    -------------      ------------

Income (loss) from operations.     (2,052)            1,501          (2,930)           (4,227)          (27,949)

Other income (expense)........        512               588             366               254              (187)
                               ----------        ----------      -----------       ----------       -----------

Income (loss) before income taxes  (1,540)            2,089          (2,564)           (3,973)          (28,136)

Provision for income taxes....          --               85             --               --                 --
                               ------------     -----------   --------------    -------------    --------------

Net income (loss).............    $(1,540)         $  2,004         $(2,564)          $(3,973)         $(28,136)
                                  ========         ========         ========          =======          ========

Net income (loss) per share..   $    (.09)       $      .12        $  (0.18)         $  (0.31)       $    (2.76)
                                ==========       ==========        =========         ========        ==========

Shares used to compute net
 income (loss) per share......     16,376            16,590          14,372            12,868            10,189

</TABLE>
- ------------------

(a) The  Statement of Operations  for the year ended  December 31, 1992 reflects
the acquisition of Laser  Engineering,  Inc.  ("LEI") as of March 6, 1992, using
the purchase  method of accounting.  Due to the  acquisition of LEI, there was a
write-off of purchased technology which increased the net loss per share in that
year by $2.38.


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                 AS OF DECEMBER 31

                                    1996             1995              1994             1993             1992
                                    ----             ----              ----             ----             ----

BALANCE SHEET DATA:

<S>                              <C>                <C>             <C>               <C>              <C>   
Working capital ...............  $11,245            $13,541         $12,431           $5,873           $4,702

Total assets...................   19,417             18,290          14,337            7,595            6,806

Long term obligations..........       27                 32               7               14               15

Stockholders' equity ..........   16,467             15,508          13,059            6,658            5,380
</TABLE>





                                       19





ITEM 7.     MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND 
            RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

OVERVIEW

        The Company was formed in 1987.  In March 1991,  the Company  acquired a
22.5% interest in Laser  Engineering,  Inc.  ("LEI") and a 50% interest in LEI's
subsidiary,  Heart  Laser,  Inc.  ("HLI").  From March 1991 to March  1992,  the
Company's  principal  business  activity was its  investment  in LEI and HLI. In
March 1992,  the Company  acquired the  remaining  shares of LEI in exchange for
shares of the Company.  HLI was merged into LEI on January 1, 1993.  LEI changed
its name to PLC Medical Systems, Inc. on January 1, 1995.

        Prior to Fiscal 1994, a  significant  portion of the  Company's  product
sales,  gross profit and operating  expenses was related to its general  purpose
CO2 surgical  lasers,  laser  components  and related  accessories.  The Company
exited this part of its surgical  laser business by the end of 1995 to focus its
full  resources  on the  Heart  Laser.  The exit  strategy  included  fulfilling
existing contracts and orders, and a sale of technologies associated with a part
of this business.

        The Company has two marketing strategies for selling the Heart Laser and
its related  products;  placement and sales.  In countries  where health care is
reimbursed by the government or by private insurers,  the Company's  strategy is
to be reimbursed for the use of the Heart Laser on a per procedure basis under a
contractual  agreement  whereby  the  customer  commits  to a minimum  number of
procedures on a yearly  basis.  These  contracts  typically run for a minimum of
three years and allow for the customer to exceed the contractual minimums. These
contracts,  referred  to as  placement  contracts,  are  preferred  to the  sale
strategy as the Company  believes that the potential  revenue  stream is greater
and more profitable.  Sterile  handpieces and other  disposables are included in
the per procedure fee.

        In countries  where health care is not  reimbursed by the  government or
insurance,  or where  credit  risk is high,  the Heart  Laser is sold as capital
equipment and the related  sterile  handpieces  and other  disposables  are sold
separately  for each  procedure.  The Company  sells Heart  Lasers  directly and
through distributors. These sales are classified as product sales.

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1995

        Total  revenues  of  $11,872,000  for the year ended  December  31, 1996
decreased  $1,473,000 or 11% when compared to total revenues of $13,345,000  for
the year ended December 31, 1995. For the year ended December 31, 1996,  product
sales of $9,082,000  decreased  $2,856,000 or 24% when compared to product sales
of  $11,938,000  for the year ended December 31, 1995. The major factors in both
of these year to date  decreases are the number of Heart Lasers  shipped and the
method of sale. In 1996, there were 30 units shipped, 13 of which were sales, as
compared with 23 shipped in 1995, 15 of which were sales. In addition,  in 1995,
the Company had a significant sale to a distributor IMATRON Japan ("IMATRON") of
six Heart Lasers at  approximately  $5.7 million.  In 1996,  the Company did not
have a comparable contract with IMATRON or any other distributor.

        Placement and service fees of $2,790,000 for the year ended December 31,
1996  increased 98% over  placement and service fees of $1,407,000  for the year
ended December 31, 1995 which reflects an increase in the number of Heart Lasers
under  placement  contracts.  In 1996 the Company had a total of 27 Heart Lasers
under placement contracts as compared with a total of 11 in 1995.



                                       20






        Total gross profit  decreased to $7,806,000 or 66% of total revenues for
the year ended  December 31, 1996 as compared  with  $8,782,000  or 66% of total
revenues for the year ended  December 31,  1995.  Gross profit on product  sales
decreased to $6,171,000 or 68% of product sales for the year ended  December 31,
1996 from  $7,761,000  or 65% of product  sales for the year ended  December 31,
1995.  The decrease in gross margin dollars is a function of lower product sales
discussed  previously.  The gross margin  percentage on product sales  increased
slightly in 1996 as compared with 1995. During the year ended December 31, 1995,
the Company  expensed  certain  inventory  related with the exit strategy of its
general purpose CO2 surgical laser product line, which had an unfavorable impact
on the gross margin percentage in 1995.

        Gross profit on placement  and service fees of $1,635,000 or 59% for the
year ended December 31, 1996  increased  $614,000 when compared to $1,021,000 or
73% for the year ended December 31, 1995. In 1996, the Company had a majority of
its  placement  contracts  in their  first  contract  year.  The first year of a
placement contract generally produces lower annual minimum contractual  revenues
than in subsequent years. In addition,  the Company records installation revenue
at the  commencement of the placement  contract.  In 1996, the timing of both of
these factors reflected a lower gross margin percentage when compared to 1995.

        Selling,  general and administrative expenses of $7,023,000 for the year
ended  December  31,  1996  increased  $1,988,000  or  39%  when  compared  with
$5,035,000 for the year ended  December 31, 1995. In 1996, the Company  expanded
its  international  sales and marketing  efforts with the  establishment of four
international  subsidiaries  in Europe and Asia,  which  accounted for more than
one-third of the overall increase. In addition to the expansion internationally,
the Company has also  strengthened  its domestic  marketing  efforts,  increased
overall staffing, and moved its operations to a new 37,000 square foot facility.

        Research and development  expenditures of $2,835,000  increased $589,000
or 26% for the year ended  December 31, 1996 when compared with  $2,246,000  for
the year ended December 31, 1995. The increase is primarily related to increased
staffing  requirements  associated  with  growing  demands  for  clinical  study
compilation and the development of a second generation Heart Laser.

        Other income of $512,000 for the year ended  December 31, 1996 decreased
$76,000 or 13% when  compared to $588,000 for the year ended  December 31, 1995.
This decrease is the result of lower interest income due to lower interest rates
throughout 1996 as compared to 1995. In addition,  with the establishment of the
Company's new subsidiaries in 1996, foreign currency  transactions resulted in a
$51,000 loss for the year ended December 31, 1996.

        There was no  provision  for income tax for the year ended  December 31,
1996 due to the net loss of $1,540,000.  Although the Company had sufficient net
operating loss  carryforwards to offset income taxes for the year ended December
31, 1995, the provision for income taxes  represents the tax liability under the
alternative minimum tax regulations which cannot be offset by net operating loss
carryforwards.

        The Company  incurred a net loss for the year ended December 31, 1996 of
$1,540,000 when compared to net income of $2,004,000 for the year ended December
31, 1995.  This is a result of lower total  revenues in 1996 when  compared with
1995, coupled with higher overall expenses in 1996 related to both international
and domestic expansion.

        The $.09  loss  per  share  for the year  ended  December  31,  1996 was
calculated using only the weighted average number of shares  outstanding  during
the year.  Earnings  per share of $.12 for the year ended  December  31,1995 was
calculated  using the weighted average number of shares  outstanding  during the
year plus common stock  equivalents  which consisted of stock options granted to
employees and stock warrants

                                       21





granted to underwriters and placement agents  associated with the Company's 1992
public offering and 1994 directed public offering.

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1995 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1994

        Total  revenues  of  $13,345,000  for the year ended  December  31, 1995
increased  $8,166,000 or 158% when compared to total  revenues of $5,179,000 for
the year ended December 31, 1994. For the year ended December 31, 1995,  product
sales of $11,938,000 increased $6,870,000 or 136% when compared to product sales
of $5,068,000 for the year ended December 31, 1994. This increase was the result
of the sale of six Heart  Lasers  approximating  $5.7  million to IMATRON  Japan
("IMATRON").  IMATRON is responsible  for all matters  related to obtaining full
Ministry of Health and Welfare approval in Japan which requires  clinical trials
similar to those  required  by the Food and Drug  Administration  ("FDA") in the
United States.  The Company reported a net loss of $2,564,000 for the year ended
December 31, 1994.

        Placement and service fees of $1,407,000 for the year ended December 31,
1995  increased  $1,296,000  over placement and service fees of $111,000 for the
year ended  December 31, 1994. The first  placement  contracts were initiated in
the fourth  quarter of 1994 at two  hospitals  for less than three months in the
1994 fiscal year. At December 31, 1995,  there were a total of eleven  placement
contracts  covering time frames  ranging from one month to the full fiscal year.
The Company also started  selling  service  contracts in the year ended December
31, 1995 which generated approximately $70,000 in revenues for the year.

        Total gross profit  increased to $8,782,000 or 66% of total revenues for
the year ended  December 31, 1995 as compared  with  $2,311,000  or 45% of total
revenues for the year ended  December 31,  1994.  Gross profit on product  sales
increased to $7,761,000 or 65% of product sales for the year ended  December 31,
1995 from  $2,217,000  or 44% of product  sales for the year ended  December 31,
1994. The  significant  increase both in dollars and in percentage  reflects the
significantly  higher gross margins related to the IMATRON contract coupled with
the  positive  impact of certain  fixed  overhead  costs  being  leveraged  over
increased production.

        Gross profit on placement  and service fees of  $1,021,000  for the year
ended December 31,1995 increased  $927,000 when compared to $94,000 for the year
ended December 31, 1994. These increases reflect the eleven placement  contracts
in effect for time frames  ranging  from one month to a full fiscal year in 1995
as compared with two placement  contracts in effect for less than one quarter in
Fiscal 1994.

        Selling,  general and administrative expenses of $5,035,000 for the year
ended  December  31,  1995  increased  $2,005,000  or  66%  when  compared  with
$3,030,000  for the year ended  December 31, 1994. The majority of this increase
is the result of expanded  sales  operations  in Europe and Asia  Pacific  which
accounted  for  approximately  $1,313,000  or 65% of the  increase  coupled with
increased salary expense related to expanded  staffing  domestically,  increased
legal   expenditures   associated  with  contract   negotiations  and  increased
consulting expenses associated with investor and public relations.

        Research and development expenditures of $2,246,000 increased $35,000 or
2% for the year ended  December 31, 1995 when compared with  $2,211,000  for the
year ended  December 31, 1994.  This small  increase is the result of the offset
between expanded scientific subsidies,  which increased  approximately $400,000,
reduced by the transfer of personnel  and their  related  expenses from research
and  development  into  operations.  This  departmental  transfer  reflects  the
evolution  of the Heart  Laser  from a  research  product  to a full  production
product.

        Other income of $588,000 for the year ended  December 31, 1995 increased
$222,000 or 61% when compared to $366,000 for the year ended  December 31, 1994.
This  increase  is the  result  of higher  interest  income  due to higher  cash
balances throughout 1995 as compared to 1994.


                                       22





        Although the Company has sufficient net operating loss  carryforwards to
offset  income taxes for the year ended  December 31, 1995,  the  provision  for
income taxes  represents  the tax liability  under the  alternative  minimum tax
regulations  which cannot be offset by net operating loss  carryforwards.  There
was no provision for income tax for the year ended  December 31, 1994 due to the
net loss of $2,564,000.

        Net income of $2,004,000  for the year ended  December 31, 1995 reflects
the positive  impact of the IMATRON  contract  which  resulted in the  Company's
first profitable year.  IMATRON is the Company's  exclusive  distributor for the
Japanese market which is the second largest medical market in the world. 

        Earnings  per  share of $.12 for the year  ended  December  31,1995  was
calculated  using the weighted average number of shares  outstanding  during the
year plus common stock  equivalents  which consisted of stock options granted to
employees  and stock  warrants  granted to  underwriters  and  placement  agents
associated  with the Company's  1992 public  offering and 1994  directed  public
offering.  The $.18 loss per  share for the year  ended  December  31,  1994 was
calculated using only the weighted average number of shares  outstanding  during
the year.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

        At December  31,  1996,  the Company  had cash and cash  equivalents  of
$3,039,000 and short-term investments of $5,470,000.

        During  the  year  ended  December  31,  1996,   the  Company   received
approximately  $2,500,000  in proceeds  from the  exercise of stock  options and
warrants,  and $119,000 from the repayment of shareholder  loans.  An additional
$1,030,000 of cash resulted from the maturities of short-term  investments which
were not  reinvested.  Cash  provided  from  operating  activities  approximated
$3,100,000,  principally  related  to its  collection  in  January  1996  of its
$5,700,000  outstanding  receivable  from  IMATRON,  offset  by  investments  in
inventories,  and increases in prepaid expenses and other assets.  Approximately
$4,200,000 was used to acquire capital equipment,  principally Heart Lasers used
for  placement  contracts  coupled with  leasehold  improvements  related to the
Company's  new  facility.  On September 3, 1996,  the Company moved into its new
facility in Franklin, Massachusetts under a five-year operating lease.

        During  the  year  ended  December  31,  1995,   the  Company   received
approximately  $399,000 in proceeds  from the exercise of stock  options,  which
includes a tax benefit relating to those options, and $69,000 from the repayment
of  shareholder  loans.  An  additional  $1,400,000  of cash  resulted  from the
maturities of short term  investments  which were not  reinvested.  Cash used in
operating  activities   approximated   $3,200,000  principally  related  to  its
$5,700,000  outstanding  receivable from IMATRON, which was collected in January
1996,  offset by investments in inventories  and increased  current  liabilities
which include scientific subsidies. Approximately $1,600,000 was used to acquire
capital equipment, principally Heart Lasers used for placement contracts.

        In  February  1997,  the  Company's   PreMarket   Approval   application
("PMA")was  filed by the FDA. The Company believes this to be the final stage of
a definitive process toward FDA approval, which is anticipated to occur in 1997.
With this expectation of FDA approval,  the Company is preparing to increase its
production  requirements,  sales and  marketing  efforts and  overall  operating
expenses.  In order to be well positioned to meet these upcoming demands and the
short term cash flow requirements under the placement

                                       23





strategy, the Company is currently exploring both debt and equity opportunities.
Unanticipated decreases in operating revenues, increases in expenses, or a delay
in the expected FDA approval,  may adversely impact the Company's cash position.
The Company may seek additional  financing through the issuance and sale of debt
or equity  securities,  bank  financing,  joint ventures or by other means.  The
availability  of such financing and the  reasonableness  of any related terms in
comparison to market conditions cannot be assured.

        The Company  believes that periodic  operating losses are possible until
after  such  time as the  Company  receives  its PMA from the FDA for the  Heart
Laser.  The Company  submitted its PMA  application in April 1995.  Although the
Heart Laser has been granted  "expedited  review"  status by the FDA,  given the
current  uncertainties  of the  time  required  by  the  FDA  to  approve  a PMA
application,  the Company cannot project when, if at all, such approval would be
granted.  Until PMA approval,  future profitability will likely be determined by
the  number  of  international  shipments  and  the  related  mix of  sales  and
placements.  In February  1997, the Company's PMA  application  was filed by the
FDA. The filing of this  expedited  PMA  application  indicated  that the FDA is
prepared to prioritize and commit its resources to this application  through the
remaining review process.  No assurance can be given that a PMA approval will be
granted in 1997, if at all. In addition,  the Company must also convince  health
care professionals, third party payors and the general public of the medical and
economic benefits of the Heart Laser. No assurance can be given that the Company
will be successful in marketing the Heart Laser or that the Company will be able
to operate profitably on a consistent basis.

         At  December  31,  1996  the  Company  had  U.S.  net  operating   loss
carryforwards  available to reduce future taxable income which expire at various
dates through 2010, and the Company had foreign net operating  carryforwards  of
approximately $1.2 million. In addition,  various other deferred tax assets have
been generated related primarily to intercompany profit,  accruals, and research
and development tax credits.

         Since the  Company  believes  that as of  December  31, 1996 it is more
likely than not,  that all of the deferred  tax assets will not be realized,  no
tax benefit for prior year losses and other  deferred  items has been  provided.
These amounts could provide a benefit to the Company in the future in profitable
years, subject to the expirations noted.

NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENT

            None

ITEM 8.     FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.

            See  Item 14  below  and the  Index  therein  for a  listing  of the
financial statements and supplementary data filed as part of this report.

ITEM 9.     CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND 
            FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.

         In July 1995, the Board of Directors of PLC Systems Inc.  engaged Ernst
& Young LLP to audit the  accounts  of the  Company  for the fiscal  year ending
December 31, 1995.  Prior to the  engagement  of Ernst & Young,  the Company had
retained  Coopers & Lybrand as its  independent  accountants.  In July 1995, the
Company  requested  that  Coopers  & Lybrand  resign  from the  engagement.  The
resignation of Coopers & Lybrand as the Company's  independent  accountants  was
approved by the Company's Board of Directors based on a recommendation  from the
accountants committee. Coopers & Lybrand complied with the resignation request.

         There  were  no  disagreements  between  the  Company  and  its  former
independent  accountants  regarding  any  matters of  accounting  principles  or
practices,  financial  statement  disclosure or auditing  scope or procedures in
connection  with the audit of each of the  Company's  fiscal years in the period
January 1, 1991 through December 31, 1994 or at any time subsequent  thereto and
prior to such  dismissal,  which  would  have  caused  Coopers & Lybrand to make
reference to the subject  matter of such  disagreement  in  connection  with its
report. There had been no "reportable events" (as defined by Regulation S-K Item
304(a) (1)(v)) during the period from January 1, 1991 through  December 31, 1994
and during the period since December 31, 1994. In addition,  the Company had not
consulted another accountant regarding the application of accounting  principles
to a specified transaction.


                                       24





         The report of such independent accountants upon the Company's financial
statements for each of the Company's  fiscal years in the period January 1, 1991
through December 31, 1994 contained  neither an adverse opinion nor a disclaimer
of opinion nor was such report  qualified or modified as to  uncertainty,  audit
scope or accounting principles.

                                    PART III

ITEM 10.     DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

DIRECTORS

         The  following  table sets forth the ages of and  positions and offices
presently held by each director of the Company.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                                         CLASS TO
                                                                                        WHICH THE
                                                                                         DIRECTOR
         NAME                           AGE                   POSITION                    BELONGS
         ----                           ---                   --------                    -------

<S>                                   <C>          <C>                                    <C>                     
Robert I. Rudko, Ph.D.                   54          Chairman of the Board                      I
                                                     of Directors and Chief
                                                     Scientist

M. Lee Hibbs                             50          President, Chief Executive                II
                                                     Officer and Director

Edward H. Pendergast                     63          Lead Outside Director                      I

Harold P. Capozzi                        72          Director                                 III

H.B. Brent Norton, M.D.                  36          Director                                 III

Kenneth J. Pulkonik                      56          Director                                  II

Roberts A. Smith, Ph.D.                  68          Director                                 III

</TABLE>


         The  Company's  Articles,  as amended,  provide that the members of the
Board of Directors  shall be  classified  and elected as nearby as possible into
three classes, each with approximately  one-third of the members of the Board of
Directors.  The classified board is designed to assure  continuity and stability
in the Board of Directors' leadership and policies. Dr. Rudko and Mr. Pendergast
are classified as Class I directors and serve a three year term, expiring at the
1998 Annual  Meeting,  Messrs.  Hibbs and  Pulkonik are  classified  as Class II
directors and serve until the 1997 Annual Meeting, and Drs. Norton and Smith and
Mr.  Capozzi  are  classified  as Class III  directors  and serve until the 1999
Annual  Meeting.  The successors to the class of directors whose terms expire at
that  meeting  would be  elected  for a term of  office  to  expire at the third
succeeding  annual meeting after their election and until their  successors have
been duly elected by the  Stockholders.  Directors chosen to fill vacancies on a
classified  board  shall hold  office  until the next  election of the class for
which  directors  shall have been chosen,  and until their  successors  are duly
elected by the Stockholders. Officers are elected by and serve at the discretion
of the Board of Directors, subject to their employment contracts.

                                       25





         The Company has agreed for five years from  September  1992 to nominate
and use its best  efforts to cause the  election of a designee of H.J.  Meyers &
Co., the Company's  representative (the  "Representative")  in its September 17,
1992 public  offering  (the "Public  Offering"),  reasonably  acceptable  to the
Company for election to its Board of Directors.  The Representative selected Dr.
Smith as its designee.

         Under  British  Columbia  corporate  law, a majority  of the  Company's
directors  must be residents  of Canada and one  director  must be a resident of
British Columbia.  As a result,  stockholders may be limited in the persons they
can nominate and elect as directors.

SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE

         Section  16(a) of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934,  as  amended,
requires executive officers and directors, and persons who beneficially own more
than  ten  percent  (10%) of the  Company's  stock to file  initial  reports  of
ownership  on Form 3,  reports  of  changes  in  ownership  on Form 4 and annual
statements of changes in beneficial  ownership on Form 5 with the Securities and
Exchange  Commission ("SEC") and any national  securities  exchange on which the
Company's securities are registered.  Executive officers,  directors and greater
than ten percent  (10%)  beneficial  owners are required by SEC  regulations  to
furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.

         Based  solely on a review of the copies of such forms  furnished to the
Company and written  representations  from the executive officers and directors,
the Company  believes that all Section 16(a) filing  requirements  applicable to
its executive officers,  directors and greater than ten percent (10%) beneficial
owners were complied with for Fiscal 1996,  except for two Form 4's representing
the sale of an agreement of 4,250 shares by Harold P. Capozzi.

COMMITTEES

         The Board of Directors  established an Audit Committee,  a Compensation
Committee and a Nominating Committee in January 1993.

         Messrs.   Pulkonik  and  Pendergast  serve  as  members  of  the  Audit
Committee.  The Audit  Committee is concerned  primarily with  recommending  the
selection  of, and  reviewing the  effectiveness  of, the Company's  independent
auditors and reviewing the  effectiveness of the Company's  accounting  policies
and practices,  financial  reporting and internal controls.  The Audit Committee
reviews any transactions  which involve a potential conflict of interest and the
scope of  independent  audit  coverages,  the fees  charged  by the  independent
auditors, and internal control systems.

         Dr. Smith and Mr. Pendergast serve on the Compensation  Committee.  The
Compensation Committee is responsible for setting and administering the policies
which govern annual compensation for the Company's executives.  The Compensation
Committee  negotiates  and  proposes  to the  Board  of  Directors  compensation
arrangements  for  officers,  other  key  employees,   certain  consultants  and
directors of the  Company.  Following  review and  approval by the  Compensation
Committee  of the  compensation  policies,  all issues  pertaining  to executive
compensation are submitted to the Board of Directors for approval.

        Dr. Rudko and Mr. Capozzi serve on the Nominating  Committee,  which was
established  for  the  purpose  of  nominating  potential  new  directors.   The
Nominating  Committee  will consider  nominees  recommended by  stockholders.  A
stockholder  wishing to nominate a candidate should forward the candidate's name
and a detailed background of the candidate's  qualifications to the Secretary of
the Company.

                                       26





         No director or  executive  officer is related to any other  director or
executive officer by blood or marriage.

BACKGROUND

         The  following is a brief  account of the business  experience  of each
director:

         ROBERT I. RUDKO,  PH.D. Dr. Rudko has served as Chairman of the Company
since April 1992,  President of the Company from April 1992 until  October 1993,
Chief  Scientist  of the  Company  since  October  1993 and  President  of Laser
Engineering,  Inc. (now known as PLC Medical  Systems,  Inc. "PLC  Medical"),  a
wholly owned  subsidiary of the Company,  since 1981.  Dr. Rudko has 26 years of
experience in the analysis, design,  development,  and manufacture of lasers and
surgical  laser  systems.  Prior to founding PLC Medical in 1981,  Dr. Rudko was
employed by the Research Division of Raytheon Company, a publicly traded defense
contractor,  from 1967 to 1981, first as a Senior Research Scientist and then as
Principal Research Scientist.  Dr. Rudko received his Ph.D. degree in electrical
engineering from Cornell University.

         M. LEE HIBBS.  Mr. Hibbs has served as a director of the Company  since
June 1994 and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since October
1993.  From  1991 to  September  1993,  Mr.  Hibbs was the  President  and Chief
Operating  Officer for  Electro-Catheter  Corp., a publicly  traded,  New Jersey
manufacturer of cardiac catheters.  From 1987 to 1991, Mr. Hibbs was the General
Manager of the  Interventional  Cardiology  Division for  Mallinckrodt  Medical,
Inc.,  a  division  of  publicly  traded  Mallinckrodt  Group,  a  company  that
manufactures medical products and animal products.  From 1985 to 1987, Mr. Hibbs
was the Business  Development and Marketing Manager,  and from 1983 to 1985, Mr.
Hibbs was a Product Manager,  for the USCI  International  Division of C.R. Bard
Inc., a publicly  traded  manufacturer of medical  products.  Prior to 1983, Mr.
Hibbs  held  various  sales  and  sales  management  positions  in the  surgical
instruments,   life  support   systems   equipment,   medical   disposables  and
pharmaceuticals industries.

         EDWARD H. PENDERGAST. Mr. Pendergast was a director of PLC Medical from
its incorporation in 1981 until 1992. Mr. Pendergast has served as a director of
PLC Systems Inc.  since  September  1992 and as its Lead Outside  Director since
March 1995. Mr. Pendergast is the President of Pendergast & Company, a privately
held  management  consulting  firm. Mr.  Pendergast  also serves as acting Chief
Executive Officer of Symbus Technology, Inc., a privately held software company.
From 1984 to 1989, Mr.  Pendergast  served as the Chairman of Kennedy & Lehan, a
public  accounting firm. Mr.  Pendergast also serves as a member of the Board of
Directors of several private  companies.  Mr.  Pendergast is a Certified  Public
Accountant and the former  President of the  Massachusetts  Society of Certified
Public Accountants.

         HAROLD P. CAPOZZI.  Mr. Capozzi has served as a director of the Company
since 1991. For approximately the last 25 years through the present, Mr. Capozzi
has  acted  in  various  managerial  and  operational   capacities  for  several
family-owned businesses. These businesses,  Capozzi Enterprises,  Ltd., Pasadena
Investments,  Ltd. and Catalina  Properties Ltd.,  operate primarily in the real
estate and real estate  leasing  markets and are  privately  held.  From 1986 to
1990, Mr. Capozzi served as the President of International  Phoenix,  a publicly
traded mining development company. From 1987 to 1991, Mr. Capozzi was a director
for Pineridge  Capital Group Inc., a publicly  traded venture  capital  company.
From 1989 to 1991,  Mr. Capozzi  served as a director for  International  Pastel
Food Corporation,  a publicly traded food franchise company. He also served as a
director for  Consolidated  General Western  Industries  Inc., a publicly traded
holding company, from 1989 to 1991. From 1990 to 1991, Mr. Capozzi served as the
President of Unilens Optical Corp., a publicly traded contact lens manufacturing
company.  From 1990 to 1993, Mr. Capozzi was a director of Aegis Resources Ltd.,
a publicly traded mining company. He has also served

                                       27





as a  director  for Comac  Food  Group  Inc.,  from 1991 to 1993.  He has been a
director of Richland Mines Inc., a publicly traded company, since 1993.

         KENNETH J.  PULKONIK.  Mr.  Pulkonik  has  served as a director  of the
Company  since 1992.  Mr.  Pulkonik has served as President  and Chairman of the
Board of Rush  Electronics  Ltd. of Ontario,  Canada, a privately held business,
since 1983.  Mr.  Pulkonik has also served as the Chairman of the Board for Rush
Corporation,  the United States subsidiary of Rush Electronics Ltd., a privately
held company,  since 1987. In 1971, Mr.  Pulkonik  co-founded  Rush  Industries,
Inc., a privately held industrial distributor to the electronics industry in the
New England area.

         ROBERTS A.  SMITH,  PH.D.  Dr.  Smith has  served as a director  of the
Company since January 1993.  From 1980 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1994,  Dr. Smith
has been the President of Viratek,  Inc., a pharmaceutical  development company.
He was the Vice President of SPI  Pharmaceuticals,  a  pharmaceutical  marketing
company  from  1990 to 1992,  and  from  1985 to 1988,  Dr.  Smith  was the Vice
President and a director of the Nucleic Acid Research  Institute.  Dr. Smith has
been the Vice  Chairman  since  1992 and a founding  director  since 1959 of ICN
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. From 1958 to 1987, Dr. Smith was a full Professor and from
1987 to the present, Dr. Smith has been a Professor Emeritus,  at the University
of California, Los Angeles where he instructs in biochemistry.

         H. B. BRENT  NORTON,  M.D.  Dr.  Norton has served as a director of the
Company  since June  1994.  He has served  since  1991 as the  President  of IMI
Diagnatech  Inc.,  a privately  held  biotechnology  commercialization  company.
Additionally,  since 1990,  he has owned and been the  President  of the Ontario
Workers Health Clinic, a privately held health assessment company.  From 1990 to
1993,  Dr. Norton was an associate at the Institute for Sport Medicine and Human
Performance, a privately held provider of medical care to athletes. From 1989 to
1990, Dr. Norton served as the consultant  Medical  Director of Mueller  Medical
International  Inc., a publicly traded medical  technology  company.  Dr. Norton
received his degree as a Doctor of Medicine from McGill  University and a Master
of Business Administration degree from the University of Western Ontario.



                                       28





EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND KEY EMPLOYEES

         The executive officers and significant employees of the Company,  their
ages and positions in the Company are as follows:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
         NAME                       AGE                                           POSITION

<S>                                 <C>            <C>                                                         
Robert I. Rudko, Ph.D.              54               Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Scientist

M. Lee Hibbs                        50               President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Patricia L. Murphy                  46               Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

William Franks, Jr.                 39               Vice President of Operations - PLC Medical

Stephen J. Linhares                 40               Vice President of Research and Development and
                                                     Clinical Trials - PLC Medical

John R. Serino                      49               Vice President of Sales and Marketing - PLC Medical

</TABLE>

         The  following is a brief  account of the business  experience  of each
officer and key  employee of the Company,  other than Dr.  Rudko and Mr.  Hibbs,
whose backgrounds are summarized above:

         PATRICIA  L.  MURPHY.  Ms.  Murphy  has served as the  Company's  Chief
Financial  Officer and Treasurer  since May 1992 and as PLC Medical's  Corporate
Controller since December 1991. Prior to joining the Company,  she was Assistant
Controller of Town & Country  Corporation from 1989 to December 1991, a publicly
traded jewelry  manufacturer,  and Corporate Controller at Bytex Corporation,  a
publicly traded manufacturer of computer network switching devices, from 1983 to
1989.  Ms. Murphy has also worked in public  accounting at Coopers & Lybrand LLP
and is a Certified Public Accountant.

         WILLIAM S.  FRANKS,  JR. Mr.  Franks has served as PLC  Medical's  Vice
President of Operations since January 1996. From 1993 to 1995, Mr. Franks served
as the Manager of Engineering  Operations at Waters Corporation where he oversaw
the  manufacturing  of  liquid   chromatography   instruments  for  medical  and
pharmaceutical  markets. From 1991 to 1993, Mr. Franks served as the Director of
Manufacturing and Operations at Pfizer Hospital Products Group, Infusaid,  which
develops drug infusion  pumps for use in  chemotherapy.  From 1988 to 1991,  Mr.
Franks  was  employed  by  Datamarine   International  and  Data  Industrial,  a
manufacturer  of  precision   monitoring   instrumentation  as  the  Manager  of
Manufacturing  Engineering,  Quality Control and Facilities.  From 1985 to 1988,
Mr.  Franks  served  as  the  Manager  of  Product  Development  and  Instrument
Manufacturing   Engineering   at  Ciba  Corning   Diagnostics   Corporation,   a
manufacturer  of  medical  instruments.   Mr.  Franks  also  served  in  various
engineering and development roles with Xerox Corporation from 1980 to 1984.

         STEPHEN J.  LINHARES.  Mr.  Linhares has served as PLC  Medical's  Vice
President of Research and  Development  and Clinical  Trials since January 1996.
Mr.  Linhares was PLC Medical's  Director of  Engineering  from 1987 to 1995. He
joined  PLC  Medical  in 1983 as an  engineer  and  was  subsequently  appointed
Operations   Manager  in  1985  and  Director  of   Engineering   in  1987.  His
responsibilities currently include managing all aspects of PLC Medical's product
research  and  development  as well as  clinical  affairs.  Prior to joining PLC
Medical,  he was  employed  in the  Research  Division of  Raytheon  Company,  a
publicly traded defense contractor, as an Associate Scientist from 1979 to 1983.

                                       29





         JOHN R. SERINO.  Mr. Serino has served as PLC Medical's  Vice President
of Sales and Marketing  since December  1995.  From 1994 to 1995, Mr. Serino was
the President of Paradigm Medical, Inc., a medical consulting company. From 1989
to  1994,  Mr.  Serino  served  as Vice  President  of  Marketing  at  Medtronic
Cardiopulmonary,  a manufacturer of instruments used in open heart surgery. From
1976 to 1989, Mr. Serino held various  positions at Shiley,  Inc., a division of
Pfizer Hospital,  which manufactured and marketed specialty medical products for
use in cardiovascular and respiratory care.

ITEM 11.  EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

         During Fiscal 1996, the aggregate cash  compensation paid or payable to
the Company's executive officers was approximately $999,415.

         The following table sets forth the compensation  paid to Dr. Rudko, the
Company's Chairman and Chief Scientist,  Mr. Hibbs, the Company's  President and
Chief  Executive  Officer,  Patricia L. Murphy,  the Company's  Chief  Financial
Officer,  John R.  Serino,  PLC Medical  System's  Vice  President  of Sales and
Marketing and William F. Franks,  Jr., PLC Medical  System's  Vice  President of
Operations with respect to services  rendered to the Company during Fiscal 1996,
Fiscal 1995 and Fiscal 1994.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                            SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

                                                                          Long Term
                                                                          Compensation
                                      Annual Compensation                              Awards
     (a)                    (b)            (c)            (d)            (e)            (g)          (i)

                                                                            Securities
  Name and                                                                  Underlying
  Principal                                                   Other Annual    Options           All Other
  Position                 Year      Salary(1)           Bonus     Compensation(3)       (#)       Compensation
  --------                 ----      ---------           -----     ---------------       ---       ------------
<S>                        <C>       <C>             <C>               <C>          <C>          <C>       
Robert I. Rudko, Ph.D.     1996      $192,500        $  38,500(1)      $28,875               0     $        0
  Chairman of the          1995      $175,000        $  84,000(1)      $26,250         100,000     $        0
  Board and                1994      $132,692        $       0         $12,193               0     $    3,893(4)
  Chief Scientist

M. Lee Hibbs               1996      $215,000        $  43,000(1)      $32,250          25,000     $   23,540(5)
  President,               1995      $195,000        $ 113,600(1)      $29,250         100,000     $   13,170(5)
   Chief Executive Officer 1994      $171,665        $  45,000(2)      $ 6,000               0     $    5,790(5)
   and Director

Patricia L. Murphy         1996      $115,000        $  23,000         $17,250          10,000     $        0
   Chief Financial         1995      $100,000        $  15,000         $15,000          55,000     $        0
   Officer                 1994      $ 83,335        $  15,000         $ 6,000          30,714     $        0

John R. Serino             1996      $125,000        $  31,250         $ 6,000          50,000     $   10,390(5)
   Vice President of       1995(6)   $  4,800        $       0         $     0               0     $        0
   Sales and Marketing     1994(6)        N/A            N/A             N/A              N/A             N/A

William F. Franks, Jr.     1996      $ 87,500        $  11,375         $ 6,000          50,000     $        0
   Vice President of       1995(6)        N/A            N/A             N/A              N/A             N/A
   Operations              1994(6)        N/A            N/A             N/A              N/A             N/A

</TABLE>

                                       30





(1)      Amounts shown indicate annual cash compensation  earned and received by
         Dr. Rudko, Mr. Hibbs, Ms. Murphy, Mr. Serino and Mr. Franks.  Executive
         officers,  including Dr. Rudko, Mr. Hibbs,  Ms. Murphy,  Mr. Serino and
         Mr.  Franks  participate  in  the  Company's  group  life,  health  and
         long-term disability insurance, at generally the same benefit levels as
         are available to all of the Company's full time employees. Effective in
         September 1994, the Compensation Committee recommended and the Board of
         Directors   approved  new  employment   agreements  which  provide  for
         increases in the base salaries of Dr. Rudko and Mr. Hibbs from $100,000
         and $160,000 to $175,000 and $195,000, respectively and benefits, to be
         selected by the executive,  equal to 15% of his base salary.  These new
         agreements,  which  expire on  December  31,  1997,  provide for annual
         reviews of salary  increases  and bonus plans by the Board of Directors
         for each fiscal year beginning  January 1, 1996.  Effective  January 1,
         1996,  the base  salaries of Dr.  Rudko and Mr.  Hibbs  increased  from
         $175,000  and $195,000 to $192,500 and  $215,000,  respectively.  These
         agreements  also  provide  that  each of Mr.  Hibbs  and Dr.  Rudko may
         receive a bonus,  commencing with Fiscal 1995, of a sliding scale based
         upon the Company achieving a certain  percentage of its annual plan for
         sales and placements of the Heart Laser, provided that the Company must
         achieve at least 70% of plan for the bonus to be paid.  If the  Company
         achieves at least 70% of its plan,  the  executive  will receive 28% of
         his base salary as a bonus.  If the Company  achieves  100% of its plan
         the officer will receive 40% of his base  salary.  The bonus  available
         provides for linear  increases  such that the maximum bonus the officer
         may receive is 120% of base salary if the Company  achieves 190% of its
         plan. In addition, Mr. Hibbs was entitled to receive a bonus of $10,000
         for each  $1,000,000 in net earnings  before tax earned in Fiscal 1995.
         Pursuant  to the terms of these  agreements  bonuses in the  amounts of
         $39,000 and  $84,000  were paid to Dr.  Rudko and $43,000 and  $113,600
         were paid to Mr. Hibbs for Fiscal 1996 and 1995, respectively.

(2)      During  Fiscal  1994,  Mr.  Hibbs was  entitled  to  receive  incentive
         compensation  of $5,000 for each Heart Laser that the Company sold over
         the first five, to a maximum  payment of $50,000.  In Fiscal 1994,  Mr.
         Hibbs received  $35,000 as a result of such incentive  compensation and
         an additional $10,000 as a result of other incentive compensation.

(3)      In Fiscal 1995, the Compensation Committee approved a benefit allowance
         of up to  15%  of  base  salary  for  Dr.  Rudko  and  Mr.  Hibbs.  The
         determination of such benefits is up to the individual.  Ms. Murphy was
         also given the same  benefit  allowance  starting  in Fiscal  1995.  In
         Fiscal  1994,  the Company  made monthly  compensatory  automobile  and
         insurance  payments of  approximately  $1,016 for an automobile for Dr.
         Rudko  and Mr.  Hibbs and Ms.  Murphy  each  received  a $500 per month
         compensatory  automobile allowance.  In Fiscal 1996, the Mr. Serino and
         Mr.  Franks  each  received  a $500 per month  compensatory  automobile
         allowance.

(4)      In Fiscal  1994,  the Company  paid on behalf of Dr. Rudko his share of
         premiums  under a  $1,000,000  reverse  split-dollar  key  person  life
         insurance policy, of which Dr. Rudko is a partial beneficiary.

(5)      Represents  payment of $23,540 in Fiscal  1996,  $13,170 in Fiscal 1995
         and $5,790 in Fiscal  1994 of a $42,500  moving  allowance  paid to Mr.
         Hibbs in connection with moving expenses.  In Fiscal 1996,  $10,390 was
         paid to Mr. Serino in connection with moving expense reimbursement.

(6)      Mr.  Serino  joined the  Company in mid  December  1995 and Mr.  Franks
         joined the Company in January 1996.

         The Company has no plans other than as set out herein pursuant to which
cash or non-cash  compensation was paid or distributed to the executive officers
during Fiscal 1996 or is proposed to be paid

                                       31





or  distributed  in a subsequent  year.  No other  compensation  was paid by the
Company  to the  executive  officers  during  Fiscal  1996,  including  personal
benefits and securities or property paid or distributed other than pursuant to a
formal plan which compensation is not offered on the same terms to all full time
employees, except as noted above.

         The  following  table  sets  forth  the  options  granted  to the named
executive officers in Fiscal 1996.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                         OPTION GRANTS IN FISCAL YEAR 1996
                                                                                                    Potential Realizable Value
                                                                                                  at Assumed Annual Rates of
                                                                                                     Stock Price Appreciation
                                    Individual Grants                                                    For Option Term (5)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         (a)                     (b)           (c)              (d)           (e)                 (f)               (g)
- ------------------------     ------------  --------------  ------------   ------------    -----------------     -------------   
                                            % of Total
                              Number of       Options
                               Securities   Granted to
                              Underlying    Employees       Exercise or
                                Options       in Fiscal      Base Price   Expiration
        Name                 Granted (#)      Year(3)         ($/Sh)       Date(4)               5%                 10%
- ------------------------   --------------   ------------    --------------------------    ------------------     ---------

<S>                          <C>             <C>          <C>        <C>              <C>                 <C>      
M. Lee Hibbs ..............    25,000(1)       5%             $14.88     07/16/2006         $226,000            $  573,000

Patricia L. Murphy ........    10,000(2)       2%             $16.31     01/01/2006         $102,600            $  260,000

John R. Serino ............    50,000(2)      10%             $16.31     01/01/2006         $513,000            $1,300,000

William F. Franks, Jr. ....    50,000(2)      10%             $16.31     01/01/2006         $513,000            $1,300,000

</TABLE>

(1)      These  options were granted on July 17, 1996 and vest on the earlier of
         January 1, 2001 or when the PMA is received from the FDA.

(2)      These  options  were  granted  on  January  2,  1996  and vest in equal
         installments over a three year period beginning January 2, 1997.

(3)      In Fiscal 1996, options to purchase 482,250 shares of Common Stock were
         granted to Company employees, including executive officers.

(4)      The options  are subject to earlier  termination  upon  certain  events
         related to termination of
         employment.

(5)      Amounts  for the  named  executives  shown in these  columns  have been
         derived by multiplying  (i) the  difference  between (a) the product of
         the per  share  market  price at the time of the grant and the sum of 1
         plus the adjusted  stock price  appreciation  rate (the assumed rate of
         appreciation  compounded  annually over the term of the option) and (b)
         the per share  exercise  price of the  option;  and (ii) the  number of
         securities  underlying the option. The dollar gains under these columns
         result from calculations  assuming  hypothetical growth rates as set by
         the Securities and Exchange Commission

                                       32





         and are not intended to forecast possible future price appreciation, if
         any, of the Company's Common Stock.

         The following table indicates the options that were exercised in Fiscal
1996 and sets forth the value of outstanding options held by executive officers,
directors and other employees of the Company as of December 31, 1996.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>


                                  AGGREGATED OPTION EXERCISES IN FISCAL YEAR 1996
                                             AND FY-END OPTION VALUES


         (a)                    (b)            (c)                     (d)                      (e)
                                                                     Number of
                                                                     Securities               Value of
                                                                     Underlying              Unexercised
                                                                    Unexercised             In-the-Money
                                                                      Options                 Options
                                  Shares                             at FY-End               at FY-End
                                Acquired                            Exercisable/           Exercisable/
         Name                  on Exercise       Value Realize ($)  Unexercisable       Unexercisable(1)(2)
         ----                  -----------       ------------- --- ----------------     -------------------

<S>                             <C>               <C>               <C>              <C>               
Robert I. Rudko, Ph.D.          27,100            $303,249(3)       139,567/233,333    $2,550,990/$4,254,660

M. Lee Hibbs                    25,000            $693,750(3)       341,667/158,333    $6,166,840/$2,593,410

Patricia L. Murphy              25,293            $276,362(3)       55,422/  34,999    $1,019,640/$  519,415

John R. Serino                       0                   0              0/   50,000    $       0/ $  294,000

William F. Franks, Jr.               0                   0              0/   50,000    $       0/ $  294,000

</TABLE>

(1)      In-the-Money  options are those options for which the fair market value
         of the underlying  Common Stock is greater than the exercise  prices of
         the option.

(2)      The value of  unexercised  options is  determined  by  multiplying  the
         number of options held by the difference  between the fair market value
         of the Common  Stock  underlying  the options at the end of Fiscal 1996
         ($22.19)  per share as  determined  by the  average of the high and low
         sale  prices of the Common  Stock as  reported  by the  American  Stock
         Exchange on December 31,  1996) and the  exercise  price of the options
         granted.  Since the fair  market  value at the end of  Fiscal  1996 was
         greater than or equal to the exercise price of the options held, all of
         the options included in this table are In-the-Money.

(3)      The value realized is calculated by determining the difference  between
         the fair market value of the Common Stock  acquired at exercise and the
         exercise price.

COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS

         Each of the directors other than Dr. Rudko and Mr. Hibbs receives a fee
of $650 for each  meeting  of the  Board of  Directors  plus  reimbursement  for
related travel expenses and an additional $2,000 per quarter. Eligible directors
also receive stock options pursuant to the Company's 1994 Formula Stock Option

                                       33





Plan. See "Beneficial  Ownership of Common Stock." In March 1995, Mr. Pendergast
agreed  to serve as the Lead  Outside  Director  of the  Company  and  effective
January  17,  1997,  he receives  $4,000 per  quarter  for his  services as lead
outside  director in addition to the fees and  expenses  referenced  above.  Mr.
Pendergast  may also  receive  $1,000  per day for other  consulting  activities
provided to the Company on a pre-approved  basis by the Board of Directors.  Mr.
Pendergast was also granted an option on August 4, 1995 to purchase up to 10,000
shares of Common Stock at an exercise  price of $12.56 per share through  August
3, 2005,  subject  to certain  requirements  and his  continued  service as Lead
Outside  Director for the Company.  See "Beneficial  Ownership of Common Stock."
The Company has no  arrangements,  pursuant to which directors were  compensated
for  their  services  in their  capacity  as  directors  during  Fiscal  1996 or
thereafter, except as described above.

EMPLOYMENT   CONTRACTS,   TERMINATION   OF  EMPLOYMENT   AND   CHANGE-IN-CONTROL
ARRANGEMENTS

         The Company has arrangements  with respect to compensation  received or
that may be received by the named executive officers to compensate such officers
in the event of termination of employment  (resignation,  retirement,  change in
control) or in the event of a change in  responsibilities  following a change in
control. An employment  agreement was entered into in May 1992 between Dr. Rudko
and the Company and an  employment  agreement  was entered  into in October 1993
between Mr.  Hibbs and the  Company  providing  for  payment of 24 months'  base
salary and prior bonus to Dr.  Rudko and 12 months'  base salary and prior bonus
to Mr. Hibbs.  The agreements  were amended in September 1994 to provide that in
addition to the severance  benefits  discussed  above, in the event of a sale or
change of control in the Company,  and if Dr. Rudko or Mr. Hibbs'  employment is
terminated  without cause, or if Dr. Rudko or Mr. Hibbs are transferred  outside
of Eastern  Massachusetts or if either individual has a significant reduction in
responsibility  with the  Company,  then he shall be entitled to receive 299% of
his prior year's  compensation  (as  determined  by Section 280G of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended). In addition, these employment agreements,  as
modified, provide that if either executive remains with the Company for one year
after a sale or change of control  in the  Company,  then he shall  receive as a
bonus an amount equal to 18 months of his then current base salary.

         In addition,  the Company  entered  into an agreement  with each of Ms.
Murphy and Mr. Linhares in April 1996 that provide for a severance payment equal
to 12 months'  base salary if either Ms.  Murphy or Mr.  Linhares is  terminated
without  cause.  These  agreements  also  provide that in the event of a sale or
change  of  control  in  the  Company,  and  if Ms.  Murphy's  or Mr.  Linhares'
employment is terminated  without  cause,  or their base salary or  Company-paid
benefits  are  reduced,   or  if  they  are   transferred   outside  of  Eastern
Massachusetts or if they have a significant reduction in responsibility with the
Company,  then they shall be  entitled  to receive  100% of their  prior  year's
compensation.

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

         The  following  table  sets  forth,  as  of  March  31,  1997,  certain
information  concerning stock ownership of the Company by (i) each person who is
known by the  Company to own of record or  beneficially  more than five  percent
(5%) of the  Company's  Common Stock,  (ii) each of the Company's  directors and
(iii) all  directors  and  executive  officers as a group.  Except as  otherwise
indicated,  the stockholders listed in the table have sole voting and investment
powers with respect to the shares indicated.



                                       34




<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                             NUMBER
                                                                           OF SHARES
    NAME OF                                                               BENEFICIALLY         PERCENTAGE
BENEFICIAL OWNER(1)                                                           OWNED(2)          OF CLASS

<S>                                                                   <C>                      <C> 
Robert I. Rudko, Ph.D.(3) ........................................         1,269,013                7.6%

M. Lee Hibbs(4)...................................................           316,667                1.9%

Edward H. Pendergast(5)(6)(7)(8)..................................            98,892                *

Harold P. Capozzi(6)(9)(10).......................................            42,850                *

Kenneth J. Pulkonik(5)(6)(9)......................................            65,000                *

Roberts A. Smith, Ph.D.(6)(9)(11).................................            45,000                *

Brent H. B. Norton, M.D.(9)(12)...................................            37,000                *

Arab Banking Corporation..........................................           747,100                 4.5%

All directors and officers
 as a group (11 persons)..........................................         2,087,371                12.6%
(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)

</TABLE>
- --------------------
* Less than 1%.

(1)      Each of such persons,  with the  exception of Arab Banking Corporation,
         may  be  reached  through  the  Company  at 10  Forge  Park,  Franklin,
         Massachusetts  02038.  The address for Arab Banking  Corporation is c/o
         Hughes  Hubbard & Reed,  One  Battery  Park Plaza,  New York,  New York
         10004.

(2)      Pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, shares
         of Common  Stock  which an  individual  or group has a right to acquire
         within 60 days  pursuant to the  exercise  of options or  warrants  are
         deemed to be  outstanding  for the purpose of computing the  percentage
         ownership  of such  individual  or  group,  but are  not  deemed  to be
         outstanding  for the purpose of computing the  percentage  ownership of
         any other person shown in the table.

(3)      The figures  presented in the table include 100,000 shares of an option
         to purchase up to 300,000  shares of Common Stock through  December 31,
         1999 at a price  of  $4.00  per  share,  which  option  fully  vests at
         December 31, 1999 or earlier upon receipt of PreMarket Approval ("PMA")
         of the Heart  Laser from the FDA,  except that all such  options  shall
         vest  immediately  in the  event  of a sale  or  acquisition  of all or
         substantially  all of the  assets of the  Company or the sale of all or
         substantially  all of the Company's  stock to an acquiring  party.  The
         figures in this table also include  39,567 shares of an option  granted
         on March 3, 1995 to purchase up to 72,900  shares of Common Stock at an
         exercise price of $3.69 per share which fully vests on December 2, 1997
         and terminates on March 2, 2005.  Also includes 94,762 shares of Common
         Stock held by Dr. Rudko's wife, but as to which Dr. Rudko disclaims any
         beneficial interest. Excludes 13,750 shares of Common Stock held by Dr.
         Rudko's  adult  children,  as to  which  he  disclaims  any  beneficial
         interest.

                                       35





(4)      Includes  66,667  shares of Common  Stock  owned by M. Lee  Hibbs,  the
         Company's Chief Executive  Officer.  The figures presented in the table
         also include  250,000 shares of an option granted on September 23, 1993
         to purchase up to 350,000  shares of Common Stock at an exercise  price
         of $4.25 per share  which  fully  vests on October  12, 1998 or earlier
         upon  receipt of PMA of the Heart  Laser from the FDA,  except that all
         such  options  shall  vest  immediately  in  the  event  of a  sale  or
         acquisition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or
         the  sale of all or  substantially  all of the  Company's  stock  to an
         acquiring  party.  The options expire five years from the date on which
         the options vest in full.  Excludes  (i) an option  granted on March 3,
         1995 to  purchase  up to 33,333  shares of Common  Stock at an exercise
         price  of  $3.69  per  share,  which  vests  on  December  2,  1997 and
         terminates on March 2, 2005 and (ii) an option to purchase up to 25,000
         shares of Common Stock granted on July 17, 1996 at an exercise price of
         $14.88 per share, which vests on the earlier of January 1, 2001 or when
         the PMA letter of approval is received  from the FDA and  terminates on
         July 16, 2006.

(5)      Includes  an option  granted on  September  16,  1993 to purchase up to
         30,000  shares of Common Stock at an exercise  price of $4.00 per share
         through September 15, 2003 which is fully vested.

(6)      Includes  an option  granted on June 19,  1995 to purchase up to 10,000
         shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $10.44 per share through
         June 18, 2005 which is fully vested.

(7)      Includes  an option  granted on August 4, 1995 to purchase up to 10,000
         shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $12.56 per share through
         August 3, 2005, which is fully vested.  Excludes 1,000 shares of Common
         Stock  owned by a trust  established  for the benefit of a child of Mr.
         Pendergast  over which Mr.  Pendergast has no control,  and of which he
         disclaims any beneficial ownership.

(8)      Includes  an option  granted on June 17,  1996 to purchase up to 20,000
         shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $24.50 per share through
         June 16, 2006, which is fully vested.

(9)      Includes  an option  granted on June 17,  1996 to purchase up to 10,000
         shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $24.50 per share through
         June 16, 2006, which is fully vested.

(10)     Includes  an option  granted on  September  16,  1993 to purchase up to
         5,662  shares of Common  Stock at an exercise  price of $4.00 per share
         through September 15, 2003 which is fully vested.

(11)     Includes  an option  granted on  September  16,  1993 to purchase up to
         25,000  shares of Common Stock at an exercise  price of $4.00 per share
         through September 15, 2003 which is fully vested.

(12)     Includes  an option  granted on June 9, 1994 to  purchase  up to 27,000
         shares of Common Stock at an exercise  price of $4.63 per share through
         June 9, 2004 which is fully vested.

(13)     Includes an  aggregate  of 105,715  shares owned by Patricia L. Murphy,
         the Company's Chief Financial Officer,  consisting of (i) 50,293 shares
         of Common  Stock owned by  Patricia  L.  Murphy,  the  Company's  Chief
         Financial Officer;  (ii) 13,571 shares of an option granted on July 28,
         1994 at an exercise price of $3.97 which is fully vested and terminates
         on January 5, 2004; (iii) 6,667 shares of an option granted on July 28,
         1994 to  purchase  up to 13,333  shares of Common  Stock at an exercise
         price  of $3.97  per  share,  such  option  vests on July 28,  1997 and
         terminates  on July 27,  2004;  and (iv)  35,184  shares  of an  option
         granted  on March 3, 1995 to  purchase  up to  53,517  shares of Common
         Stock at an exercise price of $3.69 per share,  which vests on December
         2, 1997 and terminates on March 2, 2005. Excludes an option to purchase
         up to 10,000 shares of Common Stock

                                       36





         granted on January  2, 1996 at an  exercise  price of $16.31 per share,
         which vests in equal installments over three years beginning January 2,
         1997 and terminates on January 1, 2006.

(14)     Includes an aggregate of 74,000 shares of Common Stock owned by Stephen
         J.  Linhares,  the Vice  President  of  Research  and  Development  and
         Clinical Trials of PLC Medical Systems,  Inc.  consisting of (i) 64,040
         shares of Common Stock,  (ii) 2,460 shares of an option granted on July
         28,  1994 at an  exercise  of $3.97 per  share,  such  option  vests on
         December 31, 1996 and  terminates  on December  31,  2003;  (iii) 5,000
         shares of an option to  purchase  up to 15,000  shares of Common  Stock
         granted  on August 4, 1995 at an  exercise  price of $12.56  per share,
         such option vests in equal  installments  over three years beginning on
         August 4, 1996 and  terminates on August 3, 2005;  and (iv) 2,500 share
         of an option to purchase up to 5,000 shares of Common Stock  granted on
         July 17, 1996 at an exercise price of $14.88 which vests on the earlier
         of  August  1,  2001 or one  half  upon  filing  of the  Company's  PMA
         application with the FDA and one half upon receipt of the  PMA from the
         FDA. Such option terminates on July 16, 2006.

(15)     Includes an aggregate of 33,334 shares which includes  16,667 shares of
         an option to purchase up to 50,000  shares of Common  Stock  granted to
         each of Messrs.  Franks  and  Serino on January 2, 1996 at an  exercise
         price of $16.31 per share, such option vests in equal installments over
         three years  beginning on January 2, 1997 and  terminates on January 1,
         2006.

ITEM 13.  CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

         In February  1992, in connection  with the  acquisition of PLC Medical,
several of PLC Medical's officers and directors issued  non-recourse  promissory
notes (the "Notes") to PLC Medical to exercise their PLC Medical options,  which
options if not exercised would otherwise have been canceled.  As of December 31,
1995, $119,000 of the Notes were outstanding from the following individuals; Ms.
Murphy,  the Company's Chief Financial  Officer  ($60,000),  Mr.  Linhares,  PLC
Medical's  Vice  President  of Research  and  Development  and  Clinical  Trials
($50,000) and a third party who is not an officer or director  ($9,000).  All of
the Notes were paid during 1996.

         No  insider  of  the  Company  and no  associate  or  affiliate  of the
foregoing persons has or has had any material interest,  direct or indirect,  in
any  transaction  since  the  commencement  of  Fiscal  1996 or in any  proposed
transaction which in either such case has materially affected or will materially
affect the Company, except as described above.

         The Company believes that the aforementioned transactions were on terms
as favorable as could have been obtained from  independent  third  parties,  and
that any future  transaction  by the Company  with its  officers,  directors  or
principal stockholders will be on terms no less favorable than could be obtained
from independent  third parties and will be subject to approval by a majority of
the independent directors.



                                       37





                                     PART IV

ITEM 14. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES, AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K.

     (a)(1)       Financial Statements.  The financial statements required to be
                  filed by Item 8 herewith are
   as follows:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                                                                                  <C>
            PLC SYSTEMS INC.                                                                           PAGE
            Report of Independent Auditors.....................................................        F-2
            Report of Independent Accountants..................................................        F-3
            Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 1996 and 1995 ......................        F-4
            Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended
              December 31, 1996, 1995 and 1994.................................................        F-5
            Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity  for the years ended
              December 31, 1996, 1995 and 1994.................................................        F-6
            Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended
              December 31, 1996, 1995 and 1994.................................................        F-7
            Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.........................................        F-8


     (a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules.  The following financial statement schedules are filed herewith:

            Schedule II          Valuation and Qualifying Accounts.............................        S-1

</TABLE>

            All other  schedules for which  provision is made in the  applicable
accounting regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission are not required
under the related  instructions  or are  inapplicable,  and therefore  have been
omitted.

     (a)(3) Exhibits.

     (i) The following  exhibits,  required by Item 601 of  Regulation  S-K, are
         filed herewith:

EXHIBIT
  NO.                            TITLE
  ---                            -----

  11        Statement regarding computation of per share earnings.

  21        Subsidiaries of the Registrant.

  23a       Consent of Coopers & Lybrand.

  23b       Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

  27        Financial Data Schedule.

     (ii) The  following  exhibit was filed as part of the  Company's  Report on
Form 8-K filed with the  Commission on July 19, 1995 and is herein  incorporated
by reference:


                                       38





EXHIBIT
  NO.                            TITLE

  16        Letter  from  Coopers  &  Lybrand  to the  Securities  and  Exchange
            Commission dated July 18, 1995 confirming certain disclosures.

    (iii)   The following  exhibits  were filed as part of the Company's  Annual
            Report on Form 10-K for the year ended  December  31,  1994 as filed
            with the Commission on March 31, 1995 and are herein incorporated by
            reference:

EXHIBIT
  NO.                            TITLE

  10a**     Revised Form of Key Employee Agreement for Dr. Robert I. Rudko.

  10b**     Revised Form of Key Employee Agreement for M. Lee Hibbs.

  10c**     1995 Stock Option Plan.

      (iv) The following  exhibits were filed as part of the Company's  Form S-1
Registration  Statement  (33- 58258)  declared  effective by the  Commission  on
November 5, 1993 and are herein incorporated by reference:

EXHIBIT
  NO.                            TITLE

  10a**     1993 Stock Option Plan.

  10b       1993 Formula Stock Option Plan.

      (v) The following  exhibits  were filed as part of the Company's  Form S-1
Registration  Statement  (33- 48340)  declared  effective by the  Commission  on
September 17, 1992 and are incorporated herein by reference:

EXHIBIT
  NO.                            TITLE

  3a        Certificate of Incorporation.

  3b        Articles.

  4a        Rights of security holders (included in Exhibits 3a and 3b).

  4c        Specimen Stock Certificate.

  10g**     1992 Stock Option Plan.

- ----------------------------

** These exhibits relate to executive compensation plans and arrangements.

                                       39





                                   SIGNATURES

            PURSUANT  TO  THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  SECTION  13  OR  15(D)  OF  THE
SECURITIES  EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,  THE REGISTRANT HAS DULY CAUSED THIS REPORT TO
BE SIGNED ON ITS BEHALF BY THE UNDERSIGNED, THEREUNTO DULY AUTHORIZED.

                                         PLC SYSTEMS INC.

Date:   April 15, 1997                   By: /s/   Robert I. Rudko, Ph.D.
                                            -----------------------------------
                                             Robert I. Rudko, Ph.D.
                                             Chairman of the Board of Directors
                                             and Principal Executive Officer

            PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
THIS REPORT HAS BEEN SIGNED BY THE FOLLOWING PERSONS ON BEHALF OF THE REGISTRANT
AND IN THE CAPACITIES AND ON THE DATE INDICATED.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                   Name                                          Capacity                            Date
                   ----                                          --------                            ----

<S>                                         <C>                                                <C>                  
       /s/  Robert I. Rudko, Ph.D.            Chairman of the Board of Directors                 April 15, 1997
- ------------------------------------------
             Robert I. Rudko, Ph.D.            (Principal Executive Officer)


       /s/  Patricia L. Murphy                Chief Financial Officer                            April 15, 1997
- ---------------------------------------------
              Patricia L. Murphy               (Principal Financial and Accounting
                                               Officer)


                                              President and Chief Executive Officer              April 15, 1997
- ----------------------------------------------
             M. Lee Hibbs


       /s/  Harold P. Capozzi                 Director                                           April 15, 1997
- ---------------------------------------------
             Harold P. Capozzi


       /s/  H.B. Brent Norton, M.D.           Director                                           April 15, 1997
- ----------------------------------------
             H.B. Brent Norton, M.D.


       /s/  Edward H. Pendergast              Director                                           April 15, 1997
- ------------------------------------------
             Edward H. Pendergast


       /s/  Kenneth J. Pulkonik               Director                                           April 15, 1997
- --------------------------------------------
             Kenneth J. Pulkonik


       /s/  Roberts A. Smith, Ph.D.           Director                                           April 15, 1997
- -----------------------------------------
             Roberts A. Smith, Ph.D.
</TABLE>

                                       40





                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
                        CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                  FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 1996, 1995, 1994












                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
                   INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS




<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                      PAGE
<S>                                                                                                    <C>
Report of Independent Auditors.........................................................................F-2

Report of Independent Accountants......................................................................F-3

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 1996 and 1995...........................................F-4

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 1996, 1995
   and 1994............................................................................................F-5

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity for the years ended December 31, 1996,
   1995 and 1994.......................................................................................F-6

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 1996, 1995
   and 1994............................................................................................F-7


Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.............................................................F-8

Financial Statement Schedule:

  Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts......................................................S-1

</TABLE>






                         REPORT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS


Board of Directors and Stockholders
PLC Systems Inc.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of PLC Systems Inc.
as of December 31, 1996 and 1995,  and the related  consolidated  statements  of
operations,  stockholders'  equity and cash flows for the two year period  ended
December 31, 1996.  These  financial  statements are the  responsibility  of the
Company's  management.  Our  responsibility  is to  express  an opinion on these
financial statements based on our audit.

We  conducted  our  audits  in  accordance  with  generally   accepted  auditing
standards.  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement.  An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.  An audit also includes
assessing the  accounting  principles  used and  significant  estimates  made by
management,  as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated  financial statements referred to above present
fairly, in all material  respects,  the consolidated  financial  position of PLC
Systems Inc. at December 31, 1996 and 1995, and the consolidated  results of its
operations,  stockholders'  equity and cash flows for the two year period  ended
December 31, 1996 in conformity with generally accepted  accounting  principles.


Ernst & Young LLP


Boston, Massachusetts
February 21, 1997



                                      F-2




                        REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS



To the Stockholders of
  PLC Systems Inc:


We have  audited  the  consolidated  balance  sheets of PLC  Systems  Inc. as at
December  31,  1994,  and the  related  consolidated  statement  of  operations,
stockholders' equity, and cash flows for the year then ended. In connection with
our audit of the above mentioned consolidated financial statements, we have also
audited the related  consolidated  financial  statement  schedule,  for the year
ended  December  31,  1994,  listed in Item 14 (a)(2) of this Form  10-K.  These
financial  statements and financial statement schedule are the responsibility of
the Company's  management.  Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these
financial statements and financial statement schedule based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with Canadian  generally  accepted auditing
standards,  which are  substantially  in accordance with United States generally
accepted  auditing  standards.  Those standards require that we plan and perform
the audit to obtain reasonable  assurance about whether the financial statements
are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis,
evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.  An
audit also includes  assessing the accounting  principles  used and  significant
estimates  made by  management,  as well as  evaluating  the  overall  financial
statement presentation.

In our opinion,  these  financial  statements  present  fairly,  in all material
respects,  the financial position of the Company as at December 31, 1994 and the
results  of its  operations  and its  cash  flows  for the  year  then  ended in
conformity  with United States  generally  accepted  accounting  principles.  In
addition,  in our opinion,  the financial  statement schedule referred to above,
when considered in relation to the basic financial  statements taken as a whole,
present  fairly,  in all  material  respects,  the  information  required  to be
included therein.  As required by the British Company Act we report that, in our
opinion, these principles have been applied on a consistent basis.



Coopers & Lybrand

Vancouver, B.C.
March 1, 1995


                                      F-3

\


                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
                           CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                           December 31, 1996 and 1995
                                 (In thousands)


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                1996                1995
                                                                                ----                ----
                                                      ASSETS
<S>                                                                          <C>                     <C>  
Current assets:
    Cash and cash equivalents ...........................................     $ 3,039             $   704
    Marketable securities ...............................................       5,470               6,500
    Accounts receivable, net ............................................       2,635               6,749
    Inventories, net ....................................................       2,345               1,789
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets ...........................         679                 488
                                                                              -------             -------
        Total current assets ............................................      14,168              16,230

Equipment, furniture and leasehold improvements, net ....................       4,712               1,692
Other assets ............................................................         537                 368
                                                                              -------             -------
       Total assets .....................................................     $19,417             $18,290
                                                                              =======             =======


                                       LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Current liabilities:
    Accounts payable ....................................................     $   867             $   546
    Accrued clinical costs ..............................................         935                 854
    Accrued compensation ................................................         467                 777
    Deferred revenue ....................................................         339                 166
    Other accrued liabilities ...........................................         315                 346
                                                                              -------             -------
       Total current liabilities ........................................       2,923               2,689

Deferred revenue ........................................................          -                   61
Capital lease obligations ...............................................          27                  32
Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, no par value, 25,000 shares
         authorized, 16,513 and 15,944 shares issued
         and outstanding in 1996 and 1995, respectively .................      54,030              51,411
Accumulated deficit .....................................................     (37,129)            (35,589)
Foreign currency translation ............................................        (434)               (314)
                                                                              -------             -------
 ........................................................................      16,467              15,508
                                                                              -------             -------
       Total liabilities and stockholders' equity .......................     $19,417             $18,290
                                                                              =======             =======

</TABLE>




        The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated
                             financial statements.


                                      F-4



                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
                    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS For
                The Years Ended December 31, 1996, 1995 and 1994
                      (In thousands, except per share data)





<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                  1996                1995            1994
                                                                  ----                ----            ----
<S>                                                              <C>                <C>              <C>    
Revenues:
     Product sales ...........................................   $ 9,082            $11,938          $ 5,068
     Placement and service fees ..............................     2,790              1,407              111
                                                                 -------           --------          -------
        Total revenues .......................................    11,872             13,345            5,179

Cost of revenues:
   Product sales .............................................     2,911              4,177            2,851
   Placement and service fees ................................     1,155                386               17
                                                                 -------           --------          -------
        Total cost of revenues ...............................     4,066              4,563            2,868
                                                                 -------           --------          -------

Gross profit .................................................     7,806              8,782            2,311

Operating expenses:
   Selling, general and administrative .......................     7,023              5,035            3,030
   Research and development ..................................     2,835              2,246            2,211
                                                                 -------           --------          -------
      Total operating expenses ...............................     9,858              7,281            5,241
                                                                 -------           --------          -------

Income (loss) from operations ................................    (2,052)             1,501           (2,930)
Other income, net ............................................       512                588              366
                                                                 -------           --------          -------
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes ..............    (1,540)             2,089           (2,564)

Provision for income taxes ...................................        -                  85              -
                                                                 --------          ---------         ------
Net income (loss) ............................................   $(1,540)          $  2,004          $(2,564)
                                                                 ========          ========          =======

Net income (loss) per share ..................................     $(.09)              $.12            $(.18)

Shares used to compute net income (loss) per share ...........    16,376             16,590           14,372
</TABLE>





         The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated
                             financial statements.


                                      F-5



                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
                    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS'
                  EQUITY For The Years Ended December 31, 1996,
                                  1995 and 1994
                                 (In thousands)


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                           Foreign
                                                      Common  Stock        Accumulated     Currency
                                                  Shares       Amount        Deficit      Translation       Total
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                              <C>            <C>          <C>               <C>          <C>  
Balance, December 31, 1993 ..................    13,338         41,975       (35,029)          (288)        6,658

Public offering, net of offering
   costs of $872 ............................     2,500          8,502                                      8,502

Exercise of stock warrants ..................         7             25                                         25

Repayment of stockholder notes ..............         -            441                                        441

Net loss ....................................                                 (2,564)                      (2,564)

Currency translation adjustment .............                                                    (3)           (3)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Balance, December 31, 1994 ..................    15,845         50,943       (37,593)          (291)       13,059

Exercise of stock options ...................        99            399                                        399

Repayment of stockholder notes ..............         -             69                                         69

Net income ..................................                                  2,004                        2,004

Currency translation adjustment .............                                                   (23)          (23)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Balance, December 31, 1995 ..................    15,944         51,411       (35,589)          (314)       15,508

Exercise of stockholder warrants ............       351          1,680                                      1,680

Exercise of stock options ...................       218            820                                        820

Repayment of stockholder notes ..............         -            119                                        119

Net loss ....................................                                 (1,540)                      (1,540)

Currency translation adjustment .............                                                  (120)         (120)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Balance, December 31, 1996 ..................    16,513        $54,030      $(37,129)         $(434)      $16,467
                                              =====================================================================

</TABLE>





         The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated
                             financial statements.


                                      F-6



                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
                    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS For
                The Years Ended December 31, 1996, 1995 and 1994
                                 (In thousands)


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                     1996           1995                  1994
                                                                     ----           ----                  ----
<S>                                                              <C>                 <C>             <C>     
Operating activities:
   Net income (loss) .........................................   $(1,540)            $2,004          $(2,564)

   Adjustments  to reconcile  net income  (loss) to
   net cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
      Depreciation and amortization ..........................     1,228                565              418
      Change in assets and liabilities:
           Accounts receivable ...............................     4,149             (6,387)             182
           Inventory .........................................      (556)              (435)             254
           Prepaid expenses and other assets .................      (359)              (399)            (181)
           Accounts payable ..................................       303                220              117
           Deferred revenue ..................................       107                 33              194
           Accrued liabilities ...............................      (252)             1,225               48
                                                                --------          ---------          -------
Net cash provided by (used for) operating activities .........     3,080             (3,174)          (1,532)

Investing activities:
   Purchase of marketable securities .........................   (19,419)            (8,500)          (7,858)
   Maturities of marketable securities .......................    20,449              9,858               -
   Purchase of fixed assets ..................................    (4,216)            (1,584)            (400)
                                                                --------          ---------          -------
Net cash used for investing activities .......................    (3,186)              (226)          (8,258)

Financing activities:
   Net proceeds from sale of common stock ....................     2,499                388            8,527
   Tax benefit relating to stock option plans ................        -                  11              -
   Repayment of stockholder notes ............................       119                 69              441
   Principal payments on capital lease obligations ...........       (13)               (17)             (17)
                                                                --------          ---------          -------
Net cash provided by financing activities ....................     2,605                451            8,951

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash
 equivalents .................................................      (164)               (46)              (4)
                                                                --------          ---------          -------
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents .........     2,335             (2,995)            (843)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year ...............       704              3,699            4,542
                                                                --------          ---------          --------
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year .....................  $  3,039          $     704          $ 3,699
                                                                ========          =========          =======

Supplemental disclosure:
   Interest paid .............................................  $      1          $       6          $     4
   Income taxes ..............................................  $     91          $       -          $     -

</TABLE>





         The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated
                             financial statements.


                                      F-7



                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
                   NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                                December 31, 1996




 1. NATURE OF BUSINESS

         The  Company is a  multinational  manufacturer  of  medical  lasers and
related products operating  primarily in the United States with sales offices in
Europe  and  the  Pacific  Rim.  The  Company's  primary  product  is The  Heart
Laser(TM)1  ("Heart  Laser")  which is a patented  CO2 laser used for a surgical
technique known as Transmyocardial  Revascularization.  The Company is currently
conducting  clinical  tests of the Heart  Laser in the United  States  under the
regulation  of the  Food  and  Drug  Administration.  The  Heart  Laser is being
marketed internationally in countries where it has received regulatory approvals
and in other countries where no approval is required.

2.  SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

    Basis of Presentation

         The  consolidated  financial  statements  include  the  accounts of PLC
Systems Inc. (PLC or the "Company") and its six wholly-owned  subsidiaries,  PLC
Medical Systems,  Inc., PLC Sistemas Medicos  Internacionais,  Lda, PLC Sistemas
Medicos GmbH, PLC Medical Systems AG, PLC Medical Systems  Asia/Pacific  Pte Ltd
and PLC Medical Systems France. All intercompany  accounts and transactions have
been eliminated.

    Cash and Marketable Securities

         Investments  with a  maturity  of three  months  or less at the date of
purchase are considered to be cash equivalents and those with maturities greater
than  three  months  are  considered  to be  marketable  securities.  Marketable
securities are stated at cost, which  approximates  fair value. Cash equivalents
and marketable securities, which are classified as available-for-sale securities
consist primarily of time deposits,  bankers acceptances and obligations of U.S.
government  and agencies.  There were no unrealized  gains or losses at December
31,  1996,  1995 or 1994.  As of December 31,  1996,  cash and cash  equivalents
include  $200,000  reserved for the  guarantee of a certain  inventory  purchase
under a standby  letter of credit.  The standby letter of credit will be reduced
by actual purchases made.

    Inventory

         Inventory is stated at the lower of average cost or market value.

    Equipment, Furniture and Leasehold Improvements

         Equipment,  fixtures and leasehold improvements are stated on the basis
of cost.  Depreciation is computed  principally on the straight-line  method for
financial reporting purposes and on accelerated methods for income tax purposes.

                                   (Continued)
- --------------------

1.  The Heart Laser is a trademark of PLC Medical Systems, Inc.




                                      F-8


                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
            NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - (Continued)
                                December 31, 1996



    Revenue Recognition

         Revenues from product sales, except sales to certain distributors,  are
recognized  at the  time of  shipment.  Shipments  made to  distributors,  where
payment is dependent on the resale of the product, are recognized at the time of
payment from the distributor.  Revenues from placement  contracts are recognized
as earned based on the terms of each placement  contract.  Revenues from service
contracts are recognized ratably over the life of the contract.

         As of  December  31,  1996,  future  minimum  revenues  under  existing
placement contracts are as follows (in thousands):
                                                       Minimum
                                                       Contract
             Year                                      Revenue

             1997 ..................................   $ 3,631
             1998 ..................................     3,669
             1999 ..................................     2,360
             2000 ..................................     1,659
             2001 ..................................     1,794
           Thereafter ..............................        93
                                                       -------
                                                       $13,206
                                                       =======

    Foreign Currency Translation

         Assets and  liabilities  are  translated  into U.S.  dollars at current
exchange  rates,  while income and expense items are translated at average rates
of exchange  prevailing during the year.  Exchange gains and losses arising from
translation are  accumulated as a separate  component of  stockholders'  equity.
Gains  and  losses  from  foreign  currency  transactions  are  recorded  in the
accompanying statements of operations and are not material.

    Net Income (Loss) per Share

         Net income per share is calculated using the weighted average number of
shares and share  equivalents  outstanding  during the period  which  consist of
stock options and stock warrants. The net loss per share is calculated using the
weighted  average  number  of  shares  outstanding  and does not  include  share
equivalents.

    Stock Based Compensation

         The  Company  grants  stock  options  for a fixed  number  of shares to
employees and certain other  individuals  with exercise prices equal to the fair
value  of the  shares  at the  dates of  grant.  The  Company  has  adopted  the
disclosure  only provisions of Statement of Financial  Accounting  Standards No.
123,  Accounting for Stock-based  Compensation  ("FAS 123") and will continue to
account for its stock option plans in accordance  with the  provisions of APB 25
Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees.  Accordingly, no compensation cost has
been recognized for the stock option plans.




                                      F-9


                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
            NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - (Continued)
                                December 31, 1996



    Use of Estimates

         The  preparation of financial  statements in accordance  with generally
accepted  accounting  principles  requires  management  to  make  estimates  and
assumptions  that  affect the  reported  amounts of assets and  liabilities  and
disclosure of  contingent  assets and  liabilities  at the date of the financial
statements,  and the  reported  amounts  of  revenues  and  expenses  during the
reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.  The Company
has  provided  a  valuation  allowance  for all  deferred  tax assets due to the
inability  to assume the  realization  of such tax  benefits in the  foreseeable
future.

    Impact of Recently Issued Accounting Standards

         In March 1995,  the FASB issued  Statement No. 121,  Accounting for the
Impairment of  Long-Lived  Assets and for  Long-Lived  Assets to be Disposed Of,
which  requires  impairment  losses to be recorded on long-lived  assets used in
operations when indicators of impairment are present and the  undiscounted  cash
flows  estimated  to be  generated  by those  assets  are less than the  assets'
carrying  amount.  Statement 121 also  addresses the  accounting  for long-lived
assets  that  are  expected  to be  disposed  of.  In 1996 the  Company  adopted
Statement 121 which did not have a material impact on the financial statements.

3.  INVENTORIES

     Inventories consist of the following at December 31 (in thousands):

                                                 1996               1995
                                                 ----               ----

                  Raw materials .............   $1,043            $  644
                  Work in process ...........      306                56
                  Finished goods ............      996             1,089
                                                ------            ------
                                                $2,345            $1,789
                                                ======            ======


4.  EQUIPMENT, FURNITURE AND LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS

     Equipment, furniture and leasehold improvements consist of the following at
December 31 (in thousands):

                                                 1996              1995
                                                 ----              ----

     Equipment ...............................  $1,995            $1,447
     Equipment under placement contracts .....   3,387             1,240
     Office furniture and fixtures ...........     834               327
     Equipment under capital lease ...........     284               278
     Leasehold improvements ..................     576                47
                                                ------            ------
                                                 7,076             3,339
     Less accumulated depreciation
         and amortization ....................   2,364             1,647
                                                ------            ------
                                                $4,712            $1,692
                                                ======            ======




                                      F-10


                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
            NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - (Continued)
                                December 31, 1996



         Equipment under placement  contracts  represents  Heart Lasers that the
Company has provided to customers under contracts which require the customers to
pay a fee for each use of the  equipment,  subject to guaranteed  annual minimum
fees. The Company  maintains title to the equipment,  which is depreciated  over
the term of the contract, and is responsible for maintenance.

5.  STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

         The Company has three stock  option  plans,  the 1992 Stock Option Plan
("1992  Plan"),  the 1993 Stock  Option  Plan  ("1993  Plan") and the 1995 Stock
Option  Plan  ("1995  Plan"),  which  provide  for  option  grants to  primarily
employees, officers and consultants. The Plans allow for the granting of options
aggregating  2,505,000  shares of common stock. All of the Plans consist of both
incentive stock options and  nonqualified  options.  Incentive stock options are
issuable  only to employees of the Company,  while  nonqualified  options may be
issued  to  nonemployee  directors,  consultants,  and  others,  as  well  as to
employees.  The options granted under all the Plans generally become exercisable
ratably  over  one to  three  years  from  the  date of  grant,  or based on the
attainment of specific performance criteria,  and expire ten years from the date
of grant.

         The  per  share  exercise  price  of the  common  stock  subject  to an
incentive  stock option may not be less than the fair market value of the common
stock on the date the option is  granted.  The Company  must grant  nonqualified
options at an  exercise  price of at least 85% of the fair  market  value of the
common stock on the date the option is granted.

         The Company also has the 1993 Formula  Stock Option Plan (the  "Formula
Plan")  that  provides  for the grant of  nonqualified  options  to  nonemployee
directors  to  purchase  up to  250,000  shares  of  common  stock.  The Plan is
administered  by the Board of  Directors.  Annually,  the Company  grants 10,000
options to each of its  nonemployee  directors.  A director must attend at least
60% of all Board meetings,  as well as committee meetings, to receive the grant.
The options  vest over one year on a  quarterly  basis and expire ten years from
the date of grant.  The exercise price is the fair market value of the Company's
common stock on the last business day preceding the date of grant.

         The  following  is a  summary  of option  activity  under all Plans (in
thousands, except per option data):

                                            1996       1995        1994
                                            ----       ----        ----

Outstanding at beginning of year .........  1,635      1,153         965
    Granted ..............................    500        615         188
    Exercised ............................   (220)       (99)          0
    Canceled .............................     (1)       (34)          0
                                            -----      ------      -----

Outstanding at end of year ...............  1,914      1,635       1,153
                                            =====      =====       =====

Exercisable at end of year ...............    874        693         271

Available for grant at end of year .......    521        321         202




                                      F-11


                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
            NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - (Continued)
                                December 31, 1996



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                  1996               1995               1994
                                                                  ----               ----               ----
<S>                                                              <C>                 <C>               <C>  
Weighted - average exercise price:
         Outstanding at beginning of year ....................   $ 4.67              $4.15             $4.13
         Granted .............................................   $17.83              $5.49             $4.22
         Canceled ............................................   $ 3.97              $3.69                 -
         Exercised ...........................................   $ 3.73              $4.09                 -
         Outstanding at end of year ..........................   $ 8.18              $4.67             $4.15
         Exercisable at end of year ..........................   $ 5.34              $4.22             $4.19

Weighted - average fair value of
     options granted during the year .........................   $ 5.56                  -                 -

Price range per share of outstanding options ............    $ 3.69 - $24.50     $3.69 - $16.25    $3.94 - $7.25
Price range per share of options granted ................    $14.88 - $24.50     $3.69 - $16.25    $3.97 - $5.38
Price range per share of options exercised ..............    $ 3.69 - $16.25     $3.69 - $ 7.25          -
</TABLE>


         Exercise prices for options  outstanding as of December 31, 1996 ranged
from $3.69 to $24.50.  The weighted - average  contractual life of those options
is 7.2 years.

                            Range of Exercise Prices

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                          <C>                <C>                <C>                     <C>
                                             $3.69 - $5.38      $8.06 - $12.56     $14.88 - $21.63         $24.50
                                             -------------      --------------     ---------------         ------

Options Outstanding:
Number (In thousands) .......................     1,281              105                 468                 60

Weighted-Average Remaining
     Contractual Life .......................       6.3              8.5                 9.4                9.5
Weighted-Average
     Exercise Price .........................     $4.02           $10.90              $16.85             $24.50

Options Exercisable:
Number (In thousands)........................       776               62                  11                 30
Weighted-Average
     Exercise Price .........................     $4.03           $10.71              $15.18             $24.50
</TABLE>


         Pursuant to the exercise of certain  options for the purchase of common
stock issued prior to the adoption of the above stock option plans,  the Company
had promissory notes  receivable of approximately  $119,000 at December 31, 1995
which  balances  are  included  in  stockholders'  equity  in  the  accompanying
consolidated  balance  sheet.  In 1996,  these  notes  were  paid in  full.  




                                      F-12


                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
            NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - (Continued)
                                December 31, 1996



         Pursuant to the  requirements  of FAS 123,  the  following  are the pro
forma net income (loss) and net income (loss) per share for 1996 and 1995, as if
the compensation cost for the option plans had been determined based on the fair
value  at the  grant  date for  grants  in 1996 and  1995,  consistent  with the
provisions of FAS 123.

                                                      1996            1995
                                                      ----            ----
Proforma net income (loss)(in thousands) .........  $(2,404)         $1,868
Proforma net income (loss) per share .............  $  (.15)         $  .11


         The fair  value of options  issued at the date of grant were  estimated
using the Black- Scholes model with following weighted average assumptions:

                                                      1996            1995
                                                      ----            ----
         Expected life (years) ...................      2               2
         Interest rate ...........................    5.65%           6.55%
         Volatility ..............................     .576            .422


         The Company has never declared nor paid dividends on any of its capital
stock and does not expect to do so in the foreseeable future.

         The effects on 1996 and 1995 pro forma net income (loss) and net income
(loss) per share of expensing the estimated  fair value of stock options are not
necessarily representative of the effects on reporting the results of operations
for  future  years as the  periods  presented  include  only one and two  years,
repectively, of option grants under the Company's plans.

         At December  31,  1995,  the Company  had two  outstanding  warrants to
purchase  common stock.  The first warrant  provided for the purchase of 145,000
shares at $6.00 per share and 72,500  shares at $4.80 per share.  In March 1996,
the majority of these  warrants were exercised with 11,180 of the $6.00 warrants
and 5,590 of the $4.80 warrants outstanding at December 31, 1996. These warrants
are currently  exercisable  and expire in 1997. The second warrant  provided for
the purchase of 150,000  shares at $3.94 per share and was  exercised in full in
March 1996.

         At December 31, 1996,  there were  2,462,164  shares of authorized  but
unissued  common stock  reserved  for issuance  under all stock option plans and
stock warrants.

6.  COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

         The Company  occupies  its U.S.  facilities  under an  operating  lease
agreement  which expires in August 2001. The Company has the option to renew the
lease for up to six years.  In  addition  to the  minimum  lease  payments,  the
agreement requires payment of the Company's pro-rata share of property taxes and
building operating expenses. The Company also leases certain equipment.





                                      F-13


                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
            NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - (Continued)
                                December 31, 1996





         As of December 31, 1996,  future  minimum lease payments are as follows
(in thousands):

                             Year

                             1997 .......................   $  296
                             1998 .......................      296
                             1999 .......................      296
                             2000 .......................      296
                             2001 .......................      198
                                                            ------
                                                            $1,382
                                                            ======


         Total rent expense was $370,000 in 1996,  $227,000 in 1995 and $135,000
in 1994.

7.  INCOME TAXES

         Deferred  income  taxes  reflect  the  net  tax  effects  of  temporary
differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial
reporting  purposes  and the amounts used for income tax  purposes.  Significant
components of the Company's deferred tax assets as of December 31 are as follows
(in thousands):
                                                            1996         1995
                                                            ----         ----

         Net U.S. operating loss carryforwards .........  $ 3,064       $1,945
         Net foreign operating loss carryforwards ......      484            -
         Intercompany profit ...........................      781          675
         Accrued clinical costs ........................      373            -
         Research & development credits ................      350          340
         Inventory and warranty reserves ...............      162          246
         Alternative minimum tax credit ................       63           85
         Other .........................................       22           54
                                                          -------       ------
              Total deferred tax assets ................    5,299        3,345
              Valuation allowance ......................   (5,299)      (3,345)
                                                          -------       ------
                   Net deferred tax assets .............  $     -       $    -
                                                          =======       ======


         The valuation allowance increased by approximately $2,000,000 primarily
due to additional  net operating  loss  carryforwards.  The valuation  allowance
decreased from 1994 to 1995 by approximately  $900,000  primarily due to the use
of previously unbenefited loss carryforwards to offset current year income.

         Income (loss) before taxes consisted of the following (in thousands):

                                  1996           1995             1994
                                  ----           ----             ----

         Domestic ............  $(1,244)        $2,094          $(2,583)


                                      F-14


                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
            NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - (Continued)
                                December 31, 1996



         Foreign .............         (296)           (5)               19
                                    -------        ------           -------
                                    $(1,540)       $2,089           $(2,564)


         Income taxes  (benefit)  computed at the federal  statutory rate differ
from amounts provided as follows (in thousands):

                                                    1996       1995       1994
                                                    ----       ----       ----

         Statutory income tax provision .........  $(524)     $ 710      $(872)
         Utilization of loss carryforwards ......     -        (641)         -
         Unbenefited U.S. losses ................    423          -        878
         Unbenefited foreign losses .............    100          -          -
         Other ..................................      1         16         (6)
                                                   -----      -----      -----
         Provisions for income taxes ............  $   -      $  85      $   -
                                                   =====      =====      =====


         The 1995  income tax  provision  of  $85,000  represented  the  current
liability due under the alternative minimum tax regulations.

         At  December  31,  1996  the  Company  had  U.S.  net  operating   loss
carryforwards  available to reduce future taxable income of  approximately  $7.7
million which expire at various dates through 2010. In addition, the Company had
foreign net  operating  loss  carryforwards  of  approximately  $1,210,000.  The
Company also has net operating  loss  carryforwards  generated from its previous
operations in Canada which the Company does not believe will be available to use
and, therefore, has not accounted for such losses.

8.  SEGMENT INFORMATION

         The  Company  operates  in  one  industry  segment  - the  development,
manufacture  and sales of medical  lasers and  related  products.  Net  revenue,
operating  income  and  assets  by  geographic  area are  summarized  below  (in
thousands).  Transfers to foreign subsidiaries are at prices comparable to those
charged to third party distributors.



                                      F-15


                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
            NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - (Continued)
                                December 31, 1996



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                              Consolidated
                                          North
                                         America         Europe              Other          Eliminations     Total
                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                       <C>             <C>               <C>               <C>           <C>
1996
Net sales to unaffiliated
 customers ...........................    $5,657          $6,215            $    -            $             $11,872
Transfers between areas ..............     4,700           2,900                 -             (7,600)           -
                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                          10,357           9,115                 -             (7,600)       11,872

Operating income (loss) ..............    (1,954)            272               (106)             (264)       (2,052)
Identifiable assets ..................    15,430           5,517                425            (1,955)       19,417


1995
Net sales to unaffiliated
 customers ...........................   $10,231          $3,114                 -                          $13,345
Transfers between areas                  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           4,050              -                  -             (4,050)            -
                                          14,281           3,114                 -             (4,050)       13,345

Operating income .....................     3,149              43                 -             (1,691)        1,501
Identifiable assets ..................    16,714           3,267                 -             (1,691)       18,290


1994
Net sales to unaffiliated
 customers ...........................  $  4,479          $  700                 -                 -        $ 5,179
Transfers between areas ..............       450              -                  -               (450)            -
                                        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           4,929             700                 -               (450)        5,179

Operating income (loss) ..............    (3,140)            210                 -                  -        (2,930)
Identifiable assets ..................    13,654             683                 -                  -        14,337

</TABLE>

         Included  in North  American  net  sales for 1996 are  export  sales of
$3,980,000 of which $2,547,000  related to Asia.  Included in North American net
sales for 1995 are export sales of  $9,199,000  of which  $8,002,000  related to
Asia.  Included  in North  American  net  sales  for 1994  are  export  sales of
$3,324,000, of which $1,610,000 related to Europe and $759,000 related to Asia.

         No one customer  accounted for more than 10% of the Company's  revenues
for the  year  ended  December  31,  1996.  Approximately  43% of the  Company's
revenues  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  1995  came  from  one  customer.
Approximately 30% of the Company's revenues for the year ended December 31, 1994
came  from  two  customers  accounting  for 16% and 14% of total  revenues.  The
Company  believes  that its  exposure  to  concentrations  of credit risk is not
significant based on experiences with these customers.  In addition,  letters of
credit or payment in advance are required in credit risk situations. The Company
does not believe its future revenues to be dependent on those generated from any
single customer.




                                      F-16





                                                                     Schedule II

                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
                        Valuation and Qualifying Accounts




<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
         Column A                                  Column B               Column C            Column D             Column E
- -------------------------------------------   -----------------       ---------------     ---------------      --------------
                                                                         Addition            Deductions

                                                   Balance at            Charged to                              Balance at
                                                   Beginning             Costs and                                 End of
         Description                               of Period             Expenses                                  Period
- -------------------------------------------   -----------------       ---------------     ---------------      --------------
<S>                                              <C>                    <C>                 <C>                <C>
For the Year Ended December 31, 1996

  Allowance for Doubtful Accounts                $     29,000           $       0           $     1,000        $      28,000
- -------------------------------------------   ------------------      ---------------     ---------------    -----------------

For the Year Ended December 31, 1995

  Allowance for Doubtful Accounts                $     10,000           $  19,000           $         0        $      29,000
- -------------------------------------------   ------------------      ---------------     ---------------    -----------------

For the Year Ended December 31, 1994

  Allowance for Doubtful Accounts                $     10,000           $       0           $         0        $      10,000

- -------------------------------------------   ------------------      ---------------     ---------------    -----------------
</TABLE>





                                      S-1



                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.
                           QUARTERLY DATA (UNAUDITED)




<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                         March 31         June 30        September 30        December 31       Total
<S>                                        <C>             <C>                <C>               <C>           <C>
1996
Total revenue .......................... $ 4,829         $ 1,431            $ 2,493           $ 3,119       $ 11,872
Gross profit ...........................   3,439           1,055              1,584             1,728          7,806
Income (loss) from operations ..........   1,229          (1,095)              (696)           (1,490)        (2,052)
Net income (loss) ......................   1,277            (903)              (562)           (1,352)        (1,540)

Income (loss) per share ................     .07            (.05)              (.03)             (.08)          (.09)


1995
Total revenue ..........................   2,868           1,487              1,591             7,399         13,345
Gross profit ...........................   1,778             870                630             5,504          8,782
Income (loss) from operations ..........       6            (743)              (942)            3,180          1,501
Net income (loss) ......................     163            (578)              (789)            3,208          2,004

Income (loss) per share ................     .01            (.04)              (.05)              .19            .12


1994
Total revenue ..........................   1,356           1,046                985             1,792          5,179
Gross profit ...........................     625             483                188             1,015          2,311
Loss from operations ...................    (747)           (640)            (1,028)             (515)        (2,930)
Net loss ...............................    (703)           (607)              (911)             (343)        (2,564)

Loss per share .........................    (.05)           (.05)              (.06)             (.02)          (.18)
</TABLE>







                                  EXHIBIT INDEX



Exhibit
  No.                               TITLE
  ---                               -----

  11            Statement regarding calculation of net income (loss) per share.

  23a           Consent of Coopers & Lybrand.

  23b           Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.



                                                                     EXHIBIT 11





                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.

                   CALCULATION OF NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE

                        for the years ended December 31,

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                         1996                 1995                1994
                                         ----                 ----                ----
<S>                                     <C>                 <C>                 <C>       
Weighted average number of
common shares outstanding ...........   16,376,000          15,868,000          14,372,000


Common share equivalents ............            - (1)         722,000                   - (1)
                                        -----------         ----------          ----------


Shares used to compute
net income (loss) per share .........   16,376,000          16,590,000          14,372,000


Net income (loss) ...................  $(1,540,000)         $2,004,000         $(2,564,000)


Net income (loss) per share .........        $(.09)              $0.12              $(0.18)
</TABLE>


(1)  Common  share  equivalents  are  not  included  since  their  inclusion  is
antidilutive.




                                                                      EXHIBIT 21

                                PLC SYSTEMS INC.

                           SUBSIDIARIES OF REGISTRANT




1.)     PLC Medical Systems, Inc., a Delaware Corporation

2.)     PLC Sistemas Medicos Internacionais Lda, a Madeira Corporation

3.)     PLC Sistemas Medicos Internacionais GmbH, a German Corporation

4.)     PLC Medical Systems France, a French Corporation

5.)     PLC Medical Systems AG, a Swiss Corporation

6.)     PLC Medical Systems Asia/Pacific Pte Ltd, a Singapore Corporation





                                                                     EXHIBIT 23a
                                                                                


                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS



We consent to the  incorporation by reference in the  registration  statement of
PLC  Systems  Inc.  on Form S-3  (File  No.  33-98744)  and Form S-8  (File  No.
33-95168)  of our report dated March 1, 1995,  on our audit of the  consolidated
financial  statements and financial statement schedule of PLC Systems Inc. as of
December 31, 1994 and for the year then ended,  which report is included in this
Annual Report on Form 10-K.




Vancouver, B.C.
April 11, 1997



                                                                     EXHIBIT 23b

                        CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

We consent to the  incorporation  by reference in this Annual Report (Form 10-K)
of PLC Systems Inc. of our report dated February 21, 1997,  included in the 1996
Annual Report to Shareholders of PLC Systems Inc.

Our audits also  included the financial  statement  schedule for the years ended
December  31,  1996 and 1995 of PLC  Systems  Inc.  listed in Item  14(a).  This
schedule is the responsibility of the Company's  management.  Our responsibility
is to express an opinion  based on our audits.  In our  opinion,  the  financial
statement  schedule  referred to above, when considered in relation to the basic
financial statements taken as a whole,  presents fairly in all material respects
the information set forth therein.

We also consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements
(Form S-3 No.  33-98744  aND fORM s-8 nO.  33-95168)  OF PLC Systems Inc. of our
report  dated  February 21, 1997,  with  respect to the  consolidated  financial
statements  incorporated  herein by  reference,  and our report  included in the
preceding paragraph with respect to the financial statement schedule included in
this Annual  Report (Form 10-K) of PLC Systems Inc. for the year ended  December
31, 1996.

Ernst & Young LLP

Boston Massachusetts
April 11, 1997


<TABLE> <S> <C>
                                                                  
<ARTICLE>                     5
<LEGEND>
This schedule contains summary financial information extracted from
and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER>                  1,000
       
<S>                                                   <C>   
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                         12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                                                    DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-START>                                                       JAN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                                                         DEC-31-1996
<CASH>                                                                     3,039
<SECURITIES>                                                               5,470
<RECEIVABLES>                                                              2,663
<ALLOWANCES>                                                                (28)
<INVENTORY>                                                                2,345
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                                                          14,168
<PP&E>                                                                     7,076
<DEPRECIATION>                                                           (2,364)
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                                            19,417
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                                                      2,923
<BONDS>                                                                        0
                                                          0
                                                                    0
<COMMON>                                                                  54,030
<OTHER-SE>                                                              (37,563)
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>                                              16,467
<SALES>                                                                    9,082
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                                                          11,872
<CGS>                                                                      4,066
<TOTAL-COSTS>                                                              9,858
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                                                              51
<LOSS-PROVISION>                                                               0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                                         (563)
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                                          (1,540)
<INCOME-TAX>                                                                   0
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                                                      (1,540)
<DISCONTINUED>                                                                 0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                                                0
<CHANGES>                                                                      0
<NET-INCOME>                                                             (1,540)
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                                              (.09)
<EPS-DILUTED>                                                              (.09)
        

</TABLE>


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