FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *   Abate Thomas M 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 01/01/2006 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORP [EW] (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES, ONE EDWARDS WAY 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) CVP, CFO and Treasurer 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) (Street) IRVINE, CA 92614 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5) Common Stock 3,472 D Â

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Employee Stock Option (Right to Acquire)	02/08/2003(1)	02/08/2011	Common Stock	12,000	$ 18.5	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (Right to Acquire)	04/03/2003(2)	04/03/2011	Common Stock	891	$ 18.4	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (Right to Acquire)	04/04/2004(3)	04/03/2012	Common Stock	666	$ 26.94	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (Right to Acquire)	05/08/2003(4)	05/07/2012	Common Stock	25,000	$ 26.01	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (Right to Acquire)	04/04/2004(5)	04/03/2013	Common Stock	913	$ 27.62	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (Right to Acquire)	05/14/2004(6)	05/13/2010	Common Stock	50,000	$ 30.43	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (Right to Acquire)	04/03/2005(7)	04/02/2011	Common Stock	920	$ 32.15	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (Right to Acquire)	11/04/2005(8)	11/03/2011	Common Stock	15,000	$ 34.71	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (Right to Acquire)	05/12/2006(9)	05/11/2012	Common Stock	23,100	$ 45.9	D	Â

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Abate Thomas M C/O EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES ONE EDWARDS WAY IRVINE, CA 92614	Â	Â	  CVP, CFO and Treasurer	Â

Signatures

/s/ Jay P. Wertheim, Attorney-in-fact		01/10/2006
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	This option was granted on Febuary 8, 2001 under the Edwards Lifesciences Corporation Long-Term Stock Incentive Compensation Program and becomes exercisable as to 30% after two years from grant date and 100% after three years from grant date.
(2)	This option was granted on April 3, 2001 under the Edwards Lifesciences Corporation Long-Term Stock Incentive Compensation Program and becomes exercisable as to 30% after two years from grant date and 100% after three years from grant date.
(3)	This option was granted on April 4, 2002 under the Edwards Lifesciences Corporation Long-Term Stock Incentive Compensation Program and becomes exercisable as to 30% after two years from grant date and 100% after three years from grant date.
(4)	This option was granted on May 8, 2002 under the Edwards Lifesciences Corporation Long-Term Stock Incentive Compensation Program and becomes exercisable commencing one year after the grant date in three equal annual installments.
(5)	This option was granted on April 4, 2003 under the Edwards Lifesciences Corporation Long-Term Stock Incentive Compensation Program and becomes exercisable commencing one year after the grant date in three equal annual installments.
(6)	This option was granted on May 14, 2003 under the Edwards Lifesciences Corporation Long-Term Stock Incentive Compensation Program and becomes exercisable commencing one year after the grant date in four equal annual installments.
(7)	This option was granted on April 3, 2004 under the Edwards Lifesciences Corporation Long-Term Stock Incentive Compensation Program and becomes exercisable commencing one year after the grant date in three equal annual installments.
(8)	This option was granted on November 4, 2004 under the Edwards Lifesciences Corporation Long-Term Stock Incentive Compensation Program and becomes exercisable commencing one year after the grant date in four equal annual installments.
(9)	This option was granted on May 12, 2005 under the Edwards Lifesciences Corporation Long-Term Stock Incentive Compensation Program and becomes exercisable commencing one year after the grant date in four equal annual installments.

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