A ring or rings adapted for endoluminal placement within the stomach,
other hollow organ or vessel, and a method for deploying the rings is
described. The rings create a small pouch with a reinforced stoma in the
stomach for the treatment and control of obesity. An endoluminal suturing
device for deploying a circumferential line of interrupted mattress
suture bites is inserted into the patient's stomach via the patient's
mouth. The distal gastric ring is preloaded on the distal end of the
suturing device and is incorporated with suture loops from the
double-armed sutures contained within the device. The suturing device can
have an expandable area at its distal end that can expand its diameter to
between approximately 10 mm and 150 mm. The circumference of this
expanded area has a suction opening that is used to draw in tissue when a
vacuum is applied to the device. Flexible cannulas containing long
flexible suture needles are positioned radially around the circumference
of the suction opening. The long needles are are adapted to be advanced
through the drawn in tissue incorporating their attached suture material.
The expandable area of the device is collapsed, and the device is
withdrawn from the patient. With the distal ring anchoring the sutures
beneath the incorporated tissue folds, a column of sutures exits the
device's suction port as the device is withdrawn. A second, proximal ring
is then incorporated with the sutures and may then be endoscopically
lowered into the patient's stomach and positioned proximal to the distal
ring. The sutures are endoscopically secured and cut, thereby fixing the
two rings together with tissue incorporated between them.