As Filed With the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 17, 1998
Registration No. 333-_____


SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20549


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


CARDIOVASCULAR DYNAMICS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

           DELAWARE                               68-0328265
(State or other jurisdiction of                (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                Identification No.)

13700 ALTON PARKWAY, SUITE 160, IRVINE, CALIFORNIA 92618
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)


1996 STOCK OPTION/STOCK ISSUANCE PLAN
(AS AMENDED AND RESTATED AS OF APRIL 8, 1997 AND MARCH 12, 1998)

(Full title of the plan)


Stephen Kroll
Chief Financial Officer
CardioVascular Dynamics, Inc.
13700 Alton Parkway, Suite 160
Irvine, California 92618
(Name and address of agent for service)

(714) 457-9546
(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copy to:
Lawrence Cohn

Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, a Professional Corporation 660 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1600, Newport Beach, California 92660 (949) 725-4000

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

=====================================================================================================
Title of Securities    Amount To Be     Proposed Maximum       Proposed Maximum        Amount of
 To Be Registered     Registered (1)        Offering              Aggregate         Registration Fee
                                       Price Per Share (2)    Offering Price (2)
=====================================================================================================
   Common Stock,         200,000
 $0.001 par value         shares             $5.625               $1,125,000            $331.88
=====================================================================================================

(1) Includes any additional shares of Common Stock that may become issuable pursuant to the anti-dilution adjustment provisions of the CardioVascular Dynamics, Inc. 1996 Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan (as Amended and Restated as of April 8, 1997 and March 12, 1998) (the "Plan"). An aggregate of 1,900,000 shares issuable under the Plan were registered previously:
1,200,000 shares were registered on Form S-8 (Registration No. 333-07959), filed as of July 11, 1996; and 700,000 shares were registered on Form S-8 (Registration No. 333-42161), filed as of December 12, 1997.

(2) Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee, in accordance with Rule 457(h), upon the basis of the price of securities of the same class, as determined in accordance with Rule 457(c), using the average of the high and low prices reported on the Nasdaq National Market for the Common Stock on July 13, 1998, which was $5.625 per share.


PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

This registration statement relates to the CardioVascular Dynamics, Inc. 1996 Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan (as Amended and Restated as of April 8, 1997 and March 12, 1998) (the "Plan"). The Plan was amended by the Registrant's Board of Directors on April 8, 1997 and March 12, 1998, subject to stockholder approval, which was obtained at the Registrant's Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on May 16, 1997 and May 19, 1998, respectively. As currently amended, 2,100,000 shares of Common Stock are available for grant under the Plan. Initially, an aggregate of 1,200,000 shares of Common Stock were available for grant or award under the Plan, which shares were registered on From S-8 (Registration No. 333-07959), filed as of July 11, 1996. Pursuant to the April 8, 1997 amendment, 700,000 additional shares of Common Stock were available for grant or award under the Plan, which shares were registered on Form S-8 (Registration No. 333-42161), filed as of December 12, 1997. This registration statement covers the additional 200,000 shares of Common Stock issuable under the Plan.

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The contents of the following documents are incorporated herein by reference:

(a) The contents of the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-8 (Registration No. 333-42161), filed as of December 12, 1997.

(b) The contents of the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-8 (Registration No. 333-07959), filed as of July 11, 1996.

Item 8. Exhibits.

The following exhibits are filed as part of this Registration Statement:

Number               Description
------               -----------
 5.1          Opinion of Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, a Professional
              Corporation, Counsel to the Registrant.

 23.1         Consent of Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, a Professional
              Corporation (included in the Opinion filed as Exhibit
              5.1).

 23.2         Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors, with
              respect to the consolidated financial statements of the
              Registrant.

 24.1         Power of Attorney (included on signature page to the
              Registration Statement at page S-1).


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 Irvine, State of California, on July 10, 1998.

CARDIOVASCULAR DYNAMICS, INC.

By:  /s/ Jeffrey F. O'Donnell
     ------------------------------
     Jeffrey F. O'Donnell
     Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

We, the undersigned officers and directors of CardioVascular Dynamics, Inc., do hereby constitute and appoint Jeffrey F. O'Donnell and Stephen Kroll, and each of them, our true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each 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 amendments to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting 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 such attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully 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 and on the date indicated.

        Signature                                 Title                            Date
        ---------                                 -----                            ----
/s/ Jeffrey F. O'Donnell                  Chief Executive Officer               July 10, 1998
------------------------------------      (Principal Executive Officer)
Jeffrey F. O'Donnell


/s/ Stephen Kroll                         Chief Financial Officer               July 10, 1998
------------------------------------      (Principal Financial Officer)
Stephen Kroll


/s/ David Richards                        Controller                            July 10, 1998
------------------------------------      (Principal Accounting Officer)
David Richards

S-1

/s/ Michael R. Henson                     Chairman of the Board                 July 10, 1998
------------------------------------      of Directors
Michael R. Henson


/s/ William G. Davis                      Director                              July 10, 1998
------------------------------------
William G. Davis


/s/ Franklin D. Brown                     Director                              July 10, 1998
------------------------------------
Franklin D. Brown


/s/ Edward M. Leonard                     Director                              July 10, 1998
------------------------------------
Edward M. Leonard


/s/ Gerard von Hoffmann                   Director                              July 10, 1998
------------------------------------
Gerard von Hoffmann

S-2

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number                                Description
-------                               -----------
  5.1             Opinion of Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, a Professional
                  Corporation, Counsel to the Registrant.

  23.1            Consent of Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, a Professional
                  Corporation (included in the Opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1).

  23.2            Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors, with
                  respect to the consolidated financial statements of the
                  Registrant.

  24.1            Power of Attorney (included on signature page to the
                  Registration Statement at page S-1).


EXHIBIT 5.1

[STRADLING YOCCA CARLSON & RAUTH LETTERHEAD]

July 10, 1998

CardioVascular Dynamics, Inc.
13700 Alton Parkway, Suite 160
Irvine, CA 92618

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

At your request, we have examined the form of Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") being filed by CardioVascular Dynamics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of 200,000 shares of the Company's common stock, $.001 par value ("Common Stock"), issuable under the 1996 Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan (As Amended and Restated as of April 8, 1997 and March 12, 1998) (the "Plan").

We have examined the proceedings heretofore taken and are familiar with the additional proceedings proposed to be taken by the Company in connection with the authorization, issuance and sale of the securities referred to above.

Based on the foregoing, it is our opinion that the 200,000 shares of Common Stock to be issued under the Plan against full payment in accordance with the respective terms and conditions of the Plan will be legally and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

Very truly yours,

/s/ STRADLING YOCCA CARLSON & RAUTH


EXHIBIT 23.2

FROM -- ERNST & YOUNG LLP

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement (Form S-8) pertaining to the 1996 Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan (as amended and restated as of April 8, 1997 and March 12, 1998) of CardioVascular Dynamics, Inc. of our report dated January 29, 1998 with respect to the consolidated financial statements and schedule of CardioVascular Dynamics, Inc. included in its Annual Report Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                                        /s/ ERNST & YOUNG LLP

Orange County, California
July 10, 1998