Methods for treating the cardia of the stomach

Abstract

Methods treat a tissue region. In one arrangement, the methods deploy an electrode on a support structure in a tissue region at or near the cardia of the stomach. In one embodiment, the support structure has a proximal region and a distal region. The proximal region is enlarged in comparison to the distal region, and the electrode is carried by the enlarged proximal surface. The methods advance the electrode in a path to penetrate the tissue region and couple the electrode to a source of radio frequency energy to ohmically heat tissue and create a lesion in the tissue region.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 247,153, filed Sep. 19, 2002, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 304,737, filed May 4, 1999, and entitled “Systems and Methods for Treating the Cardia of the Stomach and Adjoining Tissue Regions in the Esophagus,” now U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,697, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 026,296, filed Feb. 19, 1998, and entitled “Method for Treating Sphincter,” now U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,877.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] In a general sense, the invention is directed to methods for treating interior tissue regions of the body. More specifically, the invention is directed to methods for treating dysfunction in or near the cardia of the stomach. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The gastrointestinal tract, also called the alimentary canal, is a long tube through which food is taken into the body and digested. The alimentary can...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Dysfunction of a sphincter in the body can lead to internal damage or disease, discomfort, or otherwise adversely affect the quality of life.

Lifestyle factors can also cause increased risk of reflux.

Also, hiatal hernia frequently accompanies severe GERD.

The hernia may increase transient LES relaxation and delay acid clearance due to impaired esophageal emptying.

Thus, hiatal hernias may contribute to prolonged acid exposure time following reflux, resulting in GERD symptoms and esophageal damage.

The excessive reflux experienced by patients with GERD overwhelms their intrinsic mucosal defense mechanisms, resulting in many symptoms.

Besides the discomfort of heartburn, reflux results in symptoms of esophageal inflammation, such as odynophagia (pain on swallowing) and dysphagia (difficult swallowing).

Still, daily drug therapy does not eliminate the root cause of the dysfunction.

Still, all surgical intervention entails making an incision into the abdomen and carry with it the usual risks of abdominal surgery.

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