Analysts expect that with all things being equal, many patients will opt not to endure the open-heart procedure when given a choice.

FORBES: Less Invasive Heart Valve Shows Promise

Researchers found that at one year after the procedures, death rates were about the same for surgery and stents, reflecting the higher risk of mortality from the open-heart procedure itself about 2% for surgery compared with about 1% for stenting.

WSJ: Heart Bypass Surgery May Offer Lower Death Risk Than Angioplasty

Merely fulfilling the complex application procedure to open up on its own could take a bank five years, Mr Wu says.

ECONOMIST: For once, a foreign bank may have bought wisely in China