But some surgeons who perform traditional open surgery warn that the rush to offer the minimally invasive operation may compromise patients' health.

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ThermaCool represents a growing trend in medical treatments away from traditional open surgery--which has longer recovery periods, often a higher risk of injury or death, and typically costs more--toward "knifeless, " or minimally invasive, procedures.

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More than a decade ago, medical-device companies began introducing stents to prop open arteries as an alternative to traditional surgery.

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