UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

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

       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 10, 2004

                               CONMED CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

            New York                      0-16093               16-0977505
-------------------------------         -----------          -------------------
(State or other jurisdiction of         (Commission           (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)         File Number)         Identification No.)

                                 525 French Road
                              Utica, New York 13502
                              ---------------------
          (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

                                 (315) 797-8375
                                 --------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligations of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (See General Instruction A.2 below):

|_|   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
      CFR 230.425)

|_|   Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
      240.14a-12)

|_|   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

|_|   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

On November 12, 2004, CONMED Corporation (the "Company") entered into an Amended
and Restated  Employment  Agreement (the  "Agreement") with Joseph J. Corasanti,
Esq.,  whereby Mr.  Corasanti  will serve as the  Company's  President and Chief
Operating Officer for a period beginning January 1, 2000 and ending December 31,
2009.

A copy of the Agreement is attached  hereto as Exhibit 10.2 and is  incorporated
herein by reference.

Item 3.02 Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

On November  11,  2004,  CONMED  Corporation  (the  "Registrant")  completed  an
offering, in private placement, of $150 million in aggregate principal amount of
2.50% convertible senior subordinated notes (the "notes") due 2024. The issuance
included the full exercise of the initial  purchasers'  option to purchase up to
an additional $25 million of notes.

The notes were offered and sold to qualified  institutional buyers in accordance
with Rule  144A  under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as  amended.  The  initial
purchasers for the offering were UBS Securities LLC, Banc of America  Securities
LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

The notes were sold for cash and the aggregate  offering price for the notes was
$150 million and the aggregate  initial  purchasers'  discount for the notes was
$4.5 million.

The notes are convertible  into the  Registrant's  common stock on the terms set
forth in the Indenture related to the notes, which is attached hereto as Exhibit
4.1 and incorporated by reference herein, and which are summarized below:

      o     The notes are  convertible  into cash and, if applicable,  shares of
            the Registrant's  common stock based on an initial  conversion rate,
            subject to adjustment, of 26.1849 shares per $1,000 principal amount
            of  notes  (which   represents  an  initial   conversion   price  of
            approximately $38.19 per share), under certain circumstances.

      o     Holders may convert their notes into cash and, if applicable, shares
            of  the   Registrant's   common  stock  only  under  the   following
            circumstances:

                  (1)   during any calendar  quarter after the calendar  quarter
                        ending  December 31, 2004,  if the closing sale price of
                        the  Registrant's  common  stock  for each of 20 or more
                        consecutive  trading days in a period of 30  consecutive
                        trading  days  ending  on the  last  trading  day of the
                        immediately  preceding  calendar quarter exceeds 130% of
                        the  conversion  price in effect on the last trading day
                        of the immediately preceding calendar quarter;

                  (2)   during   the  5  business   day  period   after  any  10
                        consecutive  trading  day  period in which  the  average
                        trading price per $1,000  principal amount of notes over
                        that 10  consecutive  trading day period was equal to or
                        less  than 97% of the  average  conversion  value of the
                        notes during that period;

                  (3)   upon the occurrence of specified corporate  transactions
                        described in the Indenture; or

                  (4)   if the Registrant has called the notes for redemption.

      o     Upon  conversion,  holders  of  notes  will  receive  cash  and,  if
            applicable,  shares of the Registrant's  common stock. The aggregate
            value (the  "conversion  value"),  of the cash and,  if  applicable,
            shares of common stock per $1,000  principal amount of notes will be
            equal to the product of:



                  (1)   the conversion rate then in effect; and

                  (2)   the average of the daily  volume-weighted  average price
                        per share of the  Registrant's  common stock for each of
                        the 10 consecutive  trading days beginning on the second
                        trading day immediately  following the day the notes are
                        tendered for conversion.

      o     Except as described in the Indenture,  the  Registrant  will deliver
            the  conversion  value of the notes  surrendered  for  conversion to
            converting holders as follows:

                  (1)   a cash  amount  (the  "principal  return")  equal to the
                        lesser  of (a) the  aggregate  conversion  value  of the
                        notes to be converted  and (b) the  aggregate  principal
                        amount of the notes to be converted;

                  (2)   if the  aggregate  conversion  value of the  notes to be
                        converted  is  greater  than the  principal  return,  an
                        amount in whole shares (the "net shares"), determined as
                        set  forth  in the  Indenture,  equal  to the  aggregate
                        conversion value less the principal return; and

                  (3)   a cash amount in lieu of any fractional shares of common
                        stock.

On November 10, 2004 the Company entered into a Registration  Rights  Agreement,
which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 and incorporated herein by reference.

The Company also issued a press release relating to the offering on November 11,
2004, which is filed on Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01         Financial Statements and Exhibits.

                  (c)   Exhibits

                  The following exhibits are included herewith:

                  Exhibit No.     Description of Exhibit

                  4.1             Indenture  dated  November  10,  2004  between
                                  CONMED  Corporation  and The Bank of New York,
                                  as Trustee.

                  10.1            Registration Rights Agreement,  dated November
                                  10,  2004,  among CONMED  Corporation  and UBS
                                  Securities   LLC  and  on  behalf  of  several
                                  Initial Purchasers.

                  10.2            Amended  and  Restated  Employment  Agreement,
                                  dated November 12, 2004, by and between CONMED
                                  Corporation and Joseph J. Corasanti, Esq.

                  99.1            Press Release dated November 11, 2004,  issued
                                  by   CONMED  Corporation  announcing   that it
                                  completed an offering,  in  private placement,
                                  of $150 million in aggregate  principal amount
                                  of  2.50%  convertible   senior   subordinated
                                  notes.



                                    SIGNATURE

Pursuant  to the  requirements  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.

                                             CONMED CORPORATION
                                                 (Registrant)


                                             By: /s/ Robert D. Shallish, Jr.
                                                -------------------------------
                                                  Vice President-Finance and
                                                  Chief Financial Officer

Date: November 16, 2004



                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number            Exhibit Description

4.1               Indenture  dated November 10, 2004 between CONMED  Corporation
                  and The Bank of New York, as Trustee.

10.1              Registration Rights Agreement,  dated November 10, 2004, among
                  CONMED  Corporation  and UBS  Securities  LLC and on behalf of
                  several Initial Purchasers.

10.2              Amended and Restated Employment Agreement,  dated November 12,
                  2004,  by  and  between  CONMED   Corporation  and  Joseph  J.
                  Corasanti, Esq.

99.1              Press  Release  dated  November  11,  2004,  issued  by CONMED
                  Corporation   announcing  that  it  completed  an offering, in
                  private  placement,  of $150  million in  aggregate  principal
                  amount of 2.50% convertible subordinated notes.