An apparatus for the treatment of acid reflux disease has an implantable movement restriction device adapted to be at least partly invaginated by a patient's stomach fundus wall. A substantial part of the outer surface of the movement restriction device is adapted to rest against the stomach wall without injuring the latter in a position between the patient's diaphragm and at least a portion of the lower part of the invaginated stomach fundus wall, such that movement of the cardiac notch of the patient's stomach towards the patient's diaphragm is restricted, to thereby prevent the cardia from sliding through the patient's diaphragm opening into the patient's thorax, so as to maintain the supporting pressure against the patient's cardia sphincter muscle exerted from the patient's abdomen. The movement restriction device has a size of at least 125 mm.sup.3 and a circumference of at least 15 mm.

An apparatus for treating reflux disease of a human patient. The apparatus comprising an implantable movement restriction device, having an outer surface that includes a biocompatible material. The movement restriction device is adapted to rest against and to be kept in place contacting the stomach fundus wall, without restricting food passage in the food passageway when implanted and in function, and without injuring the stomach fundus wall in a position between the patient's diaphragm and the cardia sphincter. The movement of the cardiac notch of the patient's stomach towards the patient's diaphragm is thereby restricted, when the movement restriction device is implanted, to thereby prevent the cardia from sliding through the patient's diaphragm opening into the patient's thorax. The movement restriction device is adapted to contact directly or indirectly the diaphragm muscle to prevent such sliding of the cardia through the patient's diaphragm, so as to maintain the supporting pressure against the patient's cardia sphincter muscle exerted from the patient's abdomen. The movement restriction device having a size, when implanted and in function such that the functional movement restriction device can be completely invaginated by the stomach fundus of the human patient, and of at least 125 mm.sup.3, and a circumference of at least 15 mm.

The invention relates to an intraluminar method of treating a reflux disease in a patient by implanting a device comprising an movement restriction device that, when implanted in a patient, fills a volume in the patient's abdomen that is close to and at least partially above the patient's cardia when the patient is in a standing position. The invention further relates to a method of restoring the location of the cardia in a patient suffering from a reflux disease and to an instrument suitable to use with intraluminar method and/or restoration method. Also disclosed are instruments treating a patient suffering hiatal hernia and providing a movement restriction device to be invaginated in the stomach fundus wall.

In one aspect, an obesity treatment device includes multiple inflatable space-filling compartments and a valve system for introducing fluid into each compartment, where the device forms, upon filing the compartments, to a curved shape conforming to a natural three-dimensional kidney shape of the stomach. In one aspect, a method for deploying a gastric balloon structure in a gastric cavity includes determining dimensions of the gastric cavity in a feeding state, selecting a fill volume for each of a number of isolated chambers of the balloon structure, and filling each chamber while the balloon structure is in the gastric cavity. In one aspect, a system for treating obesity includes a means for conforming a flexible, space-filling structure to a natural kidney shape of the gastric cavity, a means for maintaining at least two isolated inflatable regions of the flexible, space-filling structure, and a means for introducing fluid into each inflatable region.

The present disclosure provides an inflatable weight control device that is implanted long-term with an endoscope in obese and bariatric human patients to promote early and prolonged satiety. The device includes a flexible, inflatable member coupled to a valve body assembly and an elongated durable module residing within the flexible member. The flexible member is selectively inflated to form two bulbs with a central passageway extending through the bulbs and the valve body assembly. Once the bulbs are inflated, the device is retained within the patient's pyloric valve to form a gastric outlet obstruction wherein chyme accumulates and then is directed through the central passageway to reach the patient's duodenum. Due to its unique configuration, the implanted device reduces gastric outflow which results in early and prolonged satiety when the patient consumes normal-sized meals or food portions, thereby reducing food consumption and increasing the patient's weight loss.

The invention relates surgical abdominal methods of treating obesity in a patient by implanting a volume filling device that, when implanted in a patient, reduces the food cavity in size by a volume substantially exceeding the volume of the volume filling device. Also disclosed is a laparoscopic instrument for providing a volume filling device to be invaginated in the stomach wall of a human patient to treat obesity.

An volume filling device for treatment of obesity is placed outside the stomach wall of the patient to reduce the inner volume of the stomach, thereby affecting the patient's appetite. By providing the volume filling device outside the stomach wall, contact with stomach acids is avoided, thereby increasing the life of the device.

A gastroscopic method of implanting a device for treating obesity of a patient by the device being postoperatively and non-invasively regulated to actively stretch a portion of the stomach wall of the patient to actively create a feeling of satiety. The method comprising the steps of: inserting the stretching device into the stomach of the patient through the esophagus, inserting the operation device into the body of the patient, the operation device being adapted to be connected to the stretching device, placing the stretching device in contact with the stomach wall, and fixating the stretching device to the stomach wall such that the operation device can regulate the device for actively stretching the portion of the stomach wall to actively create a feeling of satiety in the patient.

A volume filling device for treatment of obesity is placed outside the stomach wall of the patient to reduce the inner volume of the stomach, thereby affecting the patient's appetite. By providing the volume filling device outside the stomach wall, contact with stomach acids is avoided, thereby increasing the life of the device.

A device for treating obesity of a patient, the device comprising: at least one operable stretching device implantable in the patient and adapted to stretch a portion of the patient's stomach wall, and an implantable control unit for automatically controlling the operable stretching device, when the control unit and stretching device are implanted, to stretch the stomach wall portion in connection with the patient eating such that satiety is created.