A surgical weight loss procedure to reduce stomach volume is provided. The procedure involves gathering together a quantity of stomach tissue and securing this tissue together in a gathered position, which can reduce the volume of the stomach. This reduced stomach volume allows a patient to feel satiated with a much smaller amount of food, leading to weight loss.

An apparatus for the treatment of acid reflux disease comprising two or more movement restriction device segments adapted to be movement restriction device of a controlled size. The movement restriction device can at least partly be invaginated by a patients 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 patients 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 patients stomach towards the patients diaphragm is restricted, to thereby prevent the cardia from sliding through the patients diaphragm opening into the patients thorax, so as to maintain the supporting pressure against the patients cardia sphincter muscle exerted from the patients abdomen.

An apparatus for treating obesity in a human or animal mammal patient. The apparatus comprising a first volume filling device segment and a second volume filling device segment. The first and second volume filling device segments are adapted to be assembled into an implantable volume filling device of a controlled size. Each one of the first and second volume filling device segment comprises at least one interconnecting structure. The interconnecting structure of the second volume filling device segment is adapted to be formed fitted, such that the first and second volume filling device segment can be assembled into the volume filling device. The assembled volume filling device is adapted to be at least substantially invaginated by a stomach wall portion of a patient, with the outer surface of the device resting against the stomach wall, such that the volume of the food cavity is reduced in size.

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.

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 gastric vest system for treating excessive weight or obesity in mammals. The gastric vest system may include a trapezoidal-shaped vest having a left edge, a right edge, an upper indentation, and a lower indentation, and the trapezoidal-shaped vest is configured to be wrapped around a stomach or a modified stomach of a mammal to cover a lesser curvature and a greater curvature of the stomach or the modified stomach.

An apparatus for treating obesity comprises a volume filling device formed by at least two segments and is provided and following implantation, the device is placed resting against the stomach wall of the patient to reduce the inner volume of the stomach, thereby affecting the patient's appetite.

A gastroscopic method and instrument for treating obesity of a patient, using a device adapted to stretch a part of the stomach wall of said patient. The method comprises the steps of: inserting the device into the stomach through the esophagus, placing the device in contact with the stomach wall, and fixating the device to the stomach wall such that the device can stretch a part of the stomach wall.

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 implantable sphincter assistance device is configured to surround an exterior wall of an esophagus. The implantable sphincter assistance device includes a plurality of beads, at least one connector, and secondary material. Each of the beads has an exterior surface. The connector is configured to serially connect the beads to form a ring. The secondary material is configured to be disposed between the exterior surface of at least one of the beads and the exterior wall of the esophagus. The secondary material is configured to control remodeling of tissue surrounding the exterior wall of the esophagus.