Methods and devices for manipulating and fastening tissue
A tissue displacing and fastening device is provided for manipulating and fastening tissue together. The device includes a tissue displacing elements, which displaces tissue. A fold is formed from the displaced tissue and the tissue is fastened together to secure the fold.
1. A method for fastening a fold of stomach tissue at the intersection between the esophagus and the stomach, comprising:
providing a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, a tissue displacing element being coupled to the shaft, and the tissue displacing element being configured to reshape the stomach tissue;
extending a flexible wire, having a longitudinal axis, from the tissue displacing element;
engaging the stomach tissue with a helical coil at a distal end of the flexible wire;
changing the angular orientation of the flexible wire along the longitudinal axis by at least 45° to facilitate engaging the desired stomach tissue location;
pulling the stomach tissue into a cavity by pulling the helical coil into the cavity to form the fold of stomach tissue;
elastically expanding a proximal opening of the cavity so that the proximal opening can facilitate a larger tissue volume while applying a compressive force to the tissue at the proximal opening;
inserting a longitudinally aligned first column of fasteners into the fold of stomach tissue; and
inserting a longitudinally aligned second column of fasteners into the fold of stomach tissue, the second column of fasteners being spaced apart from the first column of fasteners by a distance defined along an arcuate path.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the tissue displacing element is configured to reshape the stomach tissue into the intersection between the esophagus and the stomach.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first column of fasteners and the second column of fasteners are aligned along the arcuate path to form a first row of fasteners and a second row of fasteners.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first row of fasteners is comprised of a fastener from the first column of fasteners and a fastener from the second column of fasteners.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second row of fasteners is comprised of a fastener from the first column of fasteners and a fastener from the second column of fasteners.
6. The method of claim 1 , prior to inserting the first and second columns of fasteners into the stomach tissue, applying a clamping element to the fold of stomach tissue.
7. A method for fastening a fold of stomach tissue at the intersection between the esophagus and the stomach, comprising:
providing a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, a tissue displacing element being coupled to the shaft, and the tissue displacing element being configured to reshape the stomach tissue;
extending a flexible wire, having a longitudinal axis, from the tissue displacing element;
engaging the stomach tissue with a helical coil at a distal end of the flexible wire;
changing the angular orientation of the flexible wire along the longitudinal axis by at least 45° to facilitate engaging the desired stomach tissue location;
pulling the stomach tissue into a cavity by pulling the helical coil into the cavity to form the fold of stomach tissue;
elastically expanding a proximal opening of the cavity so that the proximal opening can facilitate a larger tissue volume while applying a compressive force to the tissue at the proximal opening;
using a fastener applier, inserting a first row of fasteners into the fold of stomach tissue; and
rotating the fastener applier and inserting a second row of fasteners into the fold of stomach tissue, the second row of fasteners being spaced apart from the first row of fasteners by a distance defined along an arcuate path.