Featured is a surgical instrument including an end effector such as a rotating cutting implement and a heat transfer mechanism such as a cooling device, such as can include a phase change device, such as can be configured to absorb heat energy during the use of such a rotating cutting implement. The heat transfer mechanism can be configured so the absorbed heat energy is communicated to an external heat sink. Such a heat transfer mechanism can include a heat pipe, e.g., a scintered or wick type heat pipe. The heat energy is absorbed at one end of the heat pipe to minimize the potential for damage to the tissue and the like at and/or about the surgical site. Also featured are a surgical apparatus embodying such a surgical instrument and surgical or medical methods or procedures for manipulating, rotatably cutting, grinding, abrading or debriding tissue, bone or other structures or components of a mammalian body using such surgical instruments or surgical apparatus.