Patent ID: 8454595

Claim:
A method of treating tissue regions at or near the lower esophageal sphincter comprising the steps of providing an expandable structure carrying an energy delivery device comprising an RF needle electrode, the structure having a non-deployable state and a deployed state and including a first arm having a side aperture formed therein, the side aperture formed in an intermediate portion of the first arm, introducing the structure in the non-deployable state through an esophagus to a first tissue region comprising the cardia of the stomach, expanding the structure to the deployed state in the first tissue region, advancing the needle electrode from within the expandable structure and subsequently through the side aperture in the first arm, delivering sufficient energy from the energy delivery device to create a lesion in the interior of the first region, collapsing the structure to the non-deployed state, moving the structure in the non-deployed state from the tissue region to a second tissue region comprising the lower esophageal sphincter, re-advancing the needle electrode through the side aperture in the arm, delivering sufficient energy from the energy delivery device to create a lesion in the interior of the second tissue region, collapsing the structure to the non-deployed state, and removing the structure from the esophagus, whereby a pattern of lesions is formed in the first and second tissue regions to create a desired tissue effect.