An intraluminar method of treating obesity of a patient, having a stomach with a food cavity, is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of creating a pouch made of a stomach wall portion of the patient, closing the pouch by sutures, staples or a fixation device, and placing a volume filling device in the pouch before or after closing the pouch, and thus investigating the volume filling device in the pouch such that an outer surface of the volume filling device rests against an outer surface of the stomach wall.

Disclosed are embodiments of an apparatus and system for performing a sleeve gastrectomy. The apparatus can include a bougie for insertion into an interior of a stomach, the bougie having a proximal bougie end and a distal bougie end, an inflation lumen having a proximal lumen end and a distal lumen end, the inflation lumen extending from the proximal bougie end through the distal bougie end, a fluid delivery system coupled with the proximal lumen end, the fluid delivery system being operably configured to deliver positive pressure in a predetermined positive pressure range into the stomach, and a monitor coupled with the proximal lumen end operably configured for the monitoring of pressure or volume within the stomach. The bougie can be operably configured to define a resection line for the sleeve gastrectomy when the predetermined positive pressure range is achieved within the stomach.

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.

Apparatus for manipulating and securing tissue are described herein. In creating tissue folds within the body of a patient, a tissue manipulation assembly may generally have an elongate tubular member, an engagement member slidably disposed through the tubular member and a distal end adapted to engage tissue via a helical member, tissue stabilizing members positioned at the tubular member distal end which are adapted to stabilize tissue therebetween, and a delivery tube pivotable about the tissue stabilizer. The stabilizing members can be adapted to become angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the elongate tubular member. Moreover, one or all the articulation controls and functions can be integrated into a singular handle assembly connectable to the tissue manipulation assembly via a rigid or flexible tubular body.

A method of performing bariatric surgery includes inserting a gastrectomy device into a stomach of a patient, positioning the gastrectomy device in a selected location in the stomach, transecting a portion of the stomach thereby reducing a size of the stomach, and applying a reinforcement scaffold to an outer surface of the stomach. The reinforcement scaffold is configured to maintain the reduced size of the stomach.

Described herein is a system for inducing weight loss in a patient, which comprises an extragastric space occupier positionable in contact with an exterior surface of a stomach wall to form an inward protrusion of wall into the stomach, and a retention device positionable in contact with the wall to retain the inward protrusion and to thereby capture the extragastric space occupier within the protrusion.

A surgical stapler including an anvil, a staple cartridge, and a buttress material removably retained to the anvil and/or staple cartridge. In various embodiments, the staple cartridge can include at least one staple removably stored therein which can, when deployed, or fired, therefrom, contact the buttress material and remove the buttress material from the anvil and/or staple cartridge. In at least one embodiment, the anvil can include at least one lip and/or groove configured to removably retain the buttress material to the anvil until deformable members extending from the surgical staple are bent by the anvil and are directed toward and contact the buttress material.

Devices and systems to fit around a tissue or organ and methods of using the same. In at least one embodiment of an implantable device of the present disclosure, the implantable device comprises a first engaging component comprising a first rigid inner plate at least partially surrounded by a first flexible coating, a second engaging component comprising a second rigid inner plate at least partially surrounded by a coating selected from the group consisting of the first flexible coating and the second flexible coating, a first c-ring and a second c-ring coupled to the engaging components, and a cover flap coupled to either the first engaging component or the second engaging component and capable of either further coupling to the second engaging component when initially coupled to the first engaging component or further coupling to the first engaging component when initially coupled to the second engaging component.

A method for affixing a fundus portion of the stomach of a human patient to the patient's esophagus is disclosed. The method comprises folding the fundus portion towards the esophagus such that the fundus portion rests against the esophagus, from the angle of His and upwards along the esophagus, and affixing the fundus portion to the esophagus by means of fasteners arranged along a first line and a second line. The first line and the second line extend along the esophagus and are arranged such that a distance between the first line and the second line increases with an increasing distance from the angle of His. The method can be used for invaginating a movement restriction device by the fundus, a position between the diaphragm and the cardiac sphincter to hinder the cardia from sliding through the diaphragm opening into the patient's thorax.

An apparatus for treating obesity and reflux disease of an obese patient has a volume filling device to be invaginated by a stomach wall portion with the outer surface of the volume filling device resting against the stomach wall, such that the volume of the food cavity is reduced in size by a volume substantially exceeding the volume of the volume filling device. An implantable movement restriction device to be invaginated by the stomach fundus wall has an outer surface to be rested against the stomach wall in a position between the patient's diaphragm and 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.