Operations and Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 28, 2013

Operations and Significant Accounting Policies

Operations and Significant Accounting Policies

Note 1. Operations and Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Thoratec Corporation (“we,” “our,” “us,” or the “Company”) have been prepared and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), without audit, and reflect all adjustments necessary (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) to present fairly our financial position, results of operations and cash flows as of and for the periods presented. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in our annual financial statements, prepared in accordance with GAAP, have been condensed or omitted. The accompanying financial statements should be read in conjunction with our fiscal 2012 consolidated financial statements, and the accompanying notes thereto, filed with the SEC in our 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2012 (the “2012 Annual Report”). The operating results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future period.

The preparation of our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements necessarily requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet dates and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the periods presented.  The actual amounts could differ from those estimated amounts.