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.

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.

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

A method of coordinating positioning signaling includes: identifying a first user equipment (UE) served by a base station and a second UE served by the base station, the base station being configured to send a base station positioning signal wirelessly at a plurality of base-station-transmission times; allocating first times to the first UE, for sending first UE positioning signals, and second times to the second UE, for sending second UE positioning signals, at least one of the first times being different from at least one of the second times; sending a first communication to cause the first UE to send at least a respective one of the first UE positioning signals at each of the first times; and sending a second communication to cause the second UE to send at least a respective one of the second UE positioning signals at each of the second times.

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 clamp installation tool is provided. The tool may include a longitudinal main body, a selectable retention mechanism, and a tip manipulation member. The longitudinal main body may have an elongate member with a longitudinal support platform to support a clamp. The selectable retention mechanism may have a plurality of bosses to be received into corresponding apertures of the clamp, and the tip manipulation member may be coupled to a distal end of the longitudinal main body and arcuately articulable relative to the longitudinal main body. The tool may be operable to install a clamp inside a body cavity.