<PAGE>


                                                      Registration No. 333-_____
      As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 1, 2003
================================================================================

                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   ----------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                   ----------

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

          Minnesota                                 41-1595629
(State or other jurisdiction                     (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or organization)               Identification No.)

                                   ----------

                               3905 Annapolis Lane
                          Minneapolis, Minnesota 55447
                          (Address, including zip code,
                  of registrant's principal executive offices)

                                   ----------

         ATS Medical, Inc. 1998 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended
             ATS Medical, Inc. 2000 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended
                          Individual Option Agreements
                            (Full title of the plans)
                              --------------------

                                 Michael D. Dale
                             Chief Executive Officer
                                ATS Medical, Inc.
                               3905 Annapolis Lane
                          Minneapolis, Minnesota 55447
                                 (763) 553-7736
                      (Name, address and telephone number,
              including area code, of agent for service of process)

                                   ----------

                                    Copy to:
                             Timothy S. Hearn, Esq.
                              Dorsey & Whitney LLP
                              50 South Sixth Street
                                   Suite 1500
                        Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-1498
                                 (612) 340-7802

                                   ----------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

================================================================================

<Table>
<Caption>
                                                               Proposed maximum       Proposed maximum
                                            Amount to be      offering price per     aggregate offering            Amount of
Title of securities to be registered      registered (1)(2)         share (3)             price (3)            registration fee
------------------------------------      -----------------   ------------------     ------------------        ----------------
<S>                                       <C>                 <C>                    <C>                       <C>
Common stock, par value
$0.01  per share                          3,105,000 shares           $4.02               $12,482,100                 $1010
</Table>

----------

(1)      Includes 1,000,000 shares to be offered under the ATS Medical, Inc.
         2000 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended, 300,000 shares to be offered
         under the ATS Medical, Inc. 1998 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as
         amended, and 1,805,000 shares to be offered pursuant to individual
         option agreements executed in connection with the hiring of certain
         executive officers and employees of the Company.

(2)      Pursuant to Rule 416(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
         includes any additional securities that may become issuable according
         to anti-dilution provisions of the plans.

(3)      Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in
         accordance with Rule 457(h) and Rule 457(c), based upon the average of
         the high and low prices of the registrant's Common Stock on the Nasdaq
         National Market on July 29, 2003.

================================================================================


<PAGE>


                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The following documents have been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") by ATS Medical, Inc. (the "Company") and
are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement, as of their
respective dates:

         (a)  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002.

         (b)  Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
              2003.

         (c)  Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 30, 2003.

         (d)  The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in any
              registration statement or report filed by the Company under the
              Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"),
              including any amendment or report filed by the Company for the
              purpose of updating such description.

         All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c),
14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date hereof and prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities remaining unsold shall
be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from
the respective dates of filing of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.

         Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         Minnesota Statutes Section 302A.521 provides that a corporation shall
indemnify any person made or threatened to be made a party to a proceeding by
reason of the former or present official capacity of such person against
judgments, penalties, fines (including, without limitation, excise taxes
assessed against such person with respect to any employee benefit plan),
settlements and reasonable expenses, including attorneys' fees and
disbursements, incurred by such person in connection with the proceeding, if,
with respect to the acts or omissions of such person complained of in the
proceeding, such person (1) has not been indemnified therefor by another
organization or employee benefit plan; (2) acted in good faith; (3) received no
improper personal benefit and Section 302A.255 (with respect to director
conflicts of interest), if applicable, has been satisfied; (4) in the case of a
criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct was
unlawful; and (5) reasonably believed that the conduct was in the best interests
of the corporation in the case of acts or omissions in such person's official
capacity for the corporation or reasonably believed that the conduct was not
opposed to the best interests of the corporation in the case of acts or
omissions in such person's official capacity for other affiliated organizations.
The Bylaws of the Company provide that the Company shall indemnify its officers
and directors under such circumstances and to the extent permitted by Section
302A.521 as now enacted or hereafter amended.

         The Company has established a Self-Insurance Trust Agreement to assist
in funding indemnification of its directors and officers to the extent
permissible under Minnesota Law. The Company has contributed $300,000 plus
interest to an irrevocable trust (the "Trust") to be invested by an independent
trustee in government issued or insured obligations. The Trust funds may be used
only for indemnification of the Company's officers or directors or, at the
direction of the Company and with the consent of the beneficiaries under the
Trust, to pay directors' and officers'
<PAGE>


liability insurance premiums. The rights of the beneficiaries under the Trust
are contract rights enforceable against the Company and the trustee. In addition
to the Trust, since November 1995 the Company has maintained a liability
insurance policy for its directors and officers.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.

         No securities are to be reoffered or resold pursuant to this
Registration Statement.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

Exhibit
Number        Description

 4.1          Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended to date,
              incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Annual
              Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1993.

 4.2          Bylaws of the Company, as amended to date, incorporated by
              reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's Annual Report on Form
              10-K for the year ended December 31, 1996.

 4.3          Specimen certificate for shares of Common Stock of the Company,
              incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's Annual
              Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997.

 5            Opinion of Dorsey & Whitney.

23.1          Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

23.2          Consent of Dorsey & Whitney LLP (included in Exhibit 5 to this
              Registration Statement).

24            Power of Attorney (included on Signature Page).

Item 9.  Undertakings.

         (a)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

              (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
         made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                  (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of
              the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act");

                  (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
              after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the
              most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually
              or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
              information set forth in the Registration Statement.
              Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume
              of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities
              offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any
              deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum
              offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed
              with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate,
              the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20%
              change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
              "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective
              Registration Statement; and


<PAGE>

                  (iii) To include any material information with respect to the
              plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration
              Statement or any material change to such information in the
              Registration Statement;

         Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above do
         not apply if the information required to be included in a
         post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic
         reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant
         pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are
         incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

              (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
         Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to
         be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered
         therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
         deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

              (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
         amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
         the termination of the offering.

         (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities
offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons
of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or other controlling person of the
registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is
asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the
securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its
counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court
of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by
the final adjudication of such issue.


<PAGE>


                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Minneapolis, State of Minnesota, on August 1, 2003.

                                   ATS MEDICAL, INC.

                                   By: /s/ Michael D. Dale
                                       --------------------------------------
                                           Michael D. Dale
                                           Chief Executive Officer, President
                                           and Director


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below constitutes and appoints Michael D. Dale and Deborah K. Chapman,
and each of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full
power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and
stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all (i) amendments (including
post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and (ii) registration
statements and any and all amendments thereto (including post-effective
amendments) for the same offering that is effective upon filing pursuant to Rule
462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and to file the same, with all exhibits
thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, and hereby grants to such attorneys-in-fact and agents and
each of them full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and
thing requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to
all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his or her
substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on August 1, 2003.

<Table>
<Caption>
Signature                                 Title
---------                                 -----
<S>                                       <C>
By:   /s/ Manuel A. Villafana             Chairman and Director
    ------------------------------
          Manuel A. Villafana

By:   /s/ Michael D. Dale                 Chief Executive Officer, President and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
    ------------------------------
          Michael D. Dale

By:   /s/ Deborah K. Chapman              Controller (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
    ------------------------------
          Deborah K. Chapman

By:   /s/ David L. Boehnen                Director
    ------------------------------
          David L. Boehnen

By:   /s/ A. Jay Graf                     Director
    ------------------------------
          A. Jay Graf

By:   /s/ Eric W. Siverston               Director
    ------------------------------
          Eric W. Siverston

By:   /s/ Robert E. Munzenrider           Director
    ------------------------------
          Robert E. Munzenrider
</Table>
<PAGE>



                                EXHIBIT INDEX TO
                                    FORM S-8
<Table>
<Caption>
Exhibit
Number        Description
------        -----------

<S>           <C>
 4.1          Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended to date,
              incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Annual
              Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1993.

 4.2          Bylaws of the Company, as amended to date, incorporated by
              reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's Annual Report on Form
              10-K for the year ended December 31, 1996.

 4.3          Specimen certificate for shares of Common Stock of the Company,
              incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's Annual
              Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997.

 5            Opinion of Dorsey & Whitney.

23.1          Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

23.2          Consent of Dorsey & Whitney LLP (included in Exhibit 5 to this
              Registration Statement).

24            Power of Attorney (included on Signature Page).
</Table>
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "c77491sv8.txt", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 18673}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "ATS MEDICAL INC", "cik": "0000824068", "assigned-sic": "3842", "irs-number": "411595629", "state-of-incorporation": "MN", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-107560", "film-number": "03817676"}, "business-address": {"street1": "3905 ANNAPOLIS LA", "street2": "SUITE 105", "city": "MINNEAPOLIS", "state": "MN", "zip": "55447", "phone": "6125537736"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "3905 ANNAPOLIS LANE", "street2": "SUITE 105", "city": "MINNEAPOLIS", "state": "MN", "zip": "55447"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "ATS MEDCIAL INC", "date-changed": "19920803"}}
Registration No. 333-_____
      As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 1, 2003
================================================================================

                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   ----------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                   ----------

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

          Minnesota                                 41-1595629
(State or other jurisdiction                     (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or organization)               Identification No.)

                                   ----------

                               3905 Annapolis Lane
                          Minneapolis, Minnesota 55447
                          (Address, including zip code,
                  of registrant's principal executive offices)

                                   ----------

         ATS Medical, Inc. 1998 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended
             ATS Medical, Inc. 2000 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended
                          Individual Option Agreements
                            (Full title of the plans)
                              --------------------

                                 Michael D. Dale
                             Chief Executive Officer
                                ATS Medical, Inc.
                               3905 Annapolis Lane
                          Minneapolis, Minnesota 55447
                                 (763) 553-7736
                      (Name, address and telephone number,
              including area code, of agent for service of process)

                                   ----------

                                    Copy to:
                             Timothy S. Hearn, Esq.
                              Dorsey & Whitney LLP
                              50 South Sixth Street
                                   Suite 1500
                        Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-1498
                                 (612) 340-7802

                                   ----------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

================================================================================
Proposed maximum       Proposed maximum
                                            Amount to be      offering price per     aggregate offering            Amount of
Title of securities to be registered      registered (1)(2)         share (3)             price (3)            registration fee
------------------------------------      -----------------   ------------------     ------------------        ----------------
Common stock, par value
$0.01  per share                          3,105,000 shares           $4.02               $12,482,100                 $1010
----------

(1)      Includes 1,000,000 shares to be offered under the ATS Medical, Inc.
         2000 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended, 300,000 shares to be offered
         under the ATS Medical, Inc. 1998 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as
         amended, and 1,805,000 shares to be offered pursuant to individual
         option agreements executed in connection with the hiring of certain
         executive officers and employees of the Company.

(2)      Pursuant to Rule 416(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
         includes any additional securities that may become issuable according
         to anti-dilution provisions of the plans.

(3)      Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in
         accordance with Rule 457(h) and Rule 457(c), based upon the average of
         the high and low prices of the registrant's Common Stock on the Nasdaq
         National Market on July 29, 2003.

================================================================================
PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The following documents have been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") by ATS Medical, Inc. (the "Company") and
are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement, as of their
respective dates:

         (a)  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002.

         (b)  Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
              2003.

         (c)  Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 30, 2003.

         (d)  The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in any
              registration statement or report filed by the Company under the
              Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"),
              including any amendment or report filed by the Company for the
              purpose of updating such description.

         All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c),
14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date hereof and prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities remaining unsold shall
be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from
the respective dates of filing of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.

         Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         Minnesota Statutes Section 302A.521 provides that a corporation shall
indemnify any person made or threatened to be made a party to a proceeding by
reason of the former or present official capacity of such person against
judgments, penalties, fines (including, without limitation, excise taxes
assessed against such person with respect to any employee benefit plan),
settlements and reasonable expenses, including attorneys' fees and
disbursements, incurred by such person in connection with the proceeding, if,
with respect to the acts or omissions of such person complained of in the
proceeding, such person (1) has not been indemnified therefor by another
organization or employee benefit plan; (2) acted in good faith; (3) received no
improper personal benefit and Section 302A.255 (with respect to director
conflicts of interest), if applicable, has been satisfied; (4) in the case of a
criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct was
unlawful; and (5) reasonably believed that the conduct was in the best interests
of the corporation in the case of acts or omissions in such person's official
capacity for the corporation or reasonably believed that the conduct was not
opposed to the best interests of the corporation in the case of acts or
omissions in such person's official capacity for other affiliated organizations.
The Bylaws of the Company provide that the Company shall indemnify its officers
and directors under such circumstances and to the extent permitted by Section
302A.521 as now enacted or hereafter amended.

         The Company has established a Self-Insurance Trust Agreement to assist
in funding indemnification of its directors and officers to the extent
permissible under Minnesota Law. The Company has contributed $300,000 plus
interest to an irrevocable trust (the "Trust") to be invested by an independent
trustee in government issued or insured obligations. The Trust funds may be used
only for indemnification of the Company's officers or directors or, at the
direction of the Company and with the consent of the beneficiaries under the
Trust, to pay directors' and officers'
liability insurance premiums. The rights of the beneficiaries under the Trust
are contract rights enforceable against the Company and the trustee. In addition
to the Trust, since November 1995 the Company has maintained a liability
insurance policy for its directors and officers.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.

         No securities are to be reoffered or resold pursuant to this
Registration Statement.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

Exhibit
Number        Description

 4.1          Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended to date,
              incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Annual
              Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1993.

 4.2          Bylaws of the Company, as amended to date, incorporated by
              reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's Annual Report on Form
              10-K for the year ended December 31, 1996.

 4.3          Specimen certificate for shares of Common Stock of the Company,
              incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's Annual
              Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997.

 5            Opinion of Dorsey & Whitney.

23.1          Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

23.2          Consent of Dorsey & Whitney LLP (included in Exhibit 5 to this
              Registration Statement).

24            Power of Attorney (included on Signature Page).

Item 9.  Undertakings.

         (a)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

              (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
         made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                  (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of
              the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act");

                  (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
              after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the
              most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually
              or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
              information set forth in the Registration Statement.
              Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume
              of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities
              offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any
              deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum
              offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed
              with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate,
              the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20%
              change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
              "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective
              Registration Statement; and
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the
              plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration
              Statement or any material change to such information in the
              Registration Statement;

         Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above do
         not apply if the information required to be included in a
         post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic
         reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant
         pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are
         incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

              (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
         Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to
         be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered
         therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
         deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

              (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
         amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
         the termination of the offering.

         (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities
offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons
of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or other controlling person of the
registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is
asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the
securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its
counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court
of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by
the final adjudication of such issue.
SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Minneapolis, State of Minnesota, on August 1, 2003.

                                   ATS MEDICAL, INC.

                                   By: /s/ Michael D. Dale
                                       --------------------------------------
                                           Michael D. Dale
                                           Chief Executive Officer, President
                                           and Director

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below constitutes and appoints Michael D. Dale and Deborah K. Chapman,
and each of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full
power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and
stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all (i) amendments (including
post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and (ii) registration
statements and any and all amendments thereto (including post-effective
amendments) for the same offering that is effective upon filing pursuant to Rule
462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and to file the same, with all exhibits
thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, and hereby grants to such attorneys-in-fact and agents and
each of them full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and
thing requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to
all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his or her
substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on August 1, 2003.
Signature                                 Title
---------                                 -----
By:   /s/ Manuel A. Villafana             Chairman and Director
    ------------------------------
          Manuel A. Villafana

By:   /s/ Michael D. Dale                 Chief Executive Officer, President and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
    ------------------------------
          Michael D. Dale

By:   /s/ Deborah K. Chapman              Controller (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
    ------------------------------
          Deborah K. Chapman

By:   /s/ David L. Boehnen                Director
    ------------------------------
          David L. Boehnen

By:   /s/ A. Jay Graf                     Director
    ------------------------------
          A. Jay Graf

By:   /s/ Eric W. Siverston               Director
    ------------------------------
          Eric W. Siverston

By:   /s/ Robert E. Munzenrider           Director
    ------------------------------
          Robert E. Munzenrider
EXHIBIT INDEX TO
                                    FORM S-8
Exhibit
Number        Description
------        -----------
4.1          Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended to date,
              incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Annual
              Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1993.

 4.2          Bylaws of the Company, as amended to date, incorporated by
              reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's Annual Report on Form
              10-K for the year ended December 31, 1996.

 4.3          Specimen certificate for shares of Common Stock of the Company,
              incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's Annual
              Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997.

 5            Opinion of Dorsey & Whitney.

23.1          Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

23.2          Consent of Dorsey & Whitney LLP (included in Exhibit 5 to this
              Registration Statement).

24            Power of Attorney (included on Signature Page).