Patent ID: 7201757

Claim:
A method for treating gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) of a patient comprising: accessing a juncture of an esophagus and a stomach of the patient on a distal side of a diaphragm of the patient with said esophagus and a fundus of said stomach intersecting at a cardiac notch located at an original cardiac notch position; treating the patient's GERD by placing a reducing element at said junction with said reducing element selected to reposition said cardiac notch to a repositioned cardiac notch position more distal to a lower esophageal sphincter of said patient and define an extended esophageal portion; said reducing element sized for said reducing element to be placed around both a distal portion of said esophagus and a proximal portion of said stomach with said reducing element sized to surround a portion of said esophagus above said original cardiac notch portion and said proximal portion of said stomach, said placing including placing said reducing element around both said esophagus and said stomach with said reducing element surrounding a portion of said esophagus above said original cardiac notch portion and said proximal portion of said stomach to create said extended esophageal portion and with said reducing element restraining formation of a gastric pouch between proximal and distal ends of said reducing element.