Patent ID: 7261722

Claim:
A method of treating gastroesophageal reflux disease comprising the steps of: a) forming a fold of esophageal tissue proximate to the lower esophageal sphincter and drawing the fold of esophageal tissue into a tissue receiving cavity formed in an apparatus; b) actuating a mechanism to make contact with and extend a plurality of needles from the apparatus through the fold of esophageal tissue such that the needles travel through the tissue receiving cavity of the apparatus, the plurality of needles having an interior lumen containing a tissue fastener; c) ejecting a distal portion of the tissue fasteners from the interior lumen of the needle such that the distal portion of the tissue fasteners are disposed against a distal surface of the fold of esophageal tissue and the distal portion moves to a curved configuration; and d) retracting the needles from the fold of esophageal tissue such that a proximal portion of the tissue fasteners deployed from the respective interior lumen of the needles and are disposed against a proximal surface of the fold of esophageal tissue to thereby fasten the tissue to leave the fold therein to reduce the diameter of a patient's esophagus proximate the lower esophageal sphincter by the presence of the fold; wherein the plurality of needles are axially spaced within the apparatus and a distal tip of the needles is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the apparatus, and the step of actuating a mechanism to extend the plurality of needles comprises extending the needles in a rotational movement.