Patent ID: 8021355

Claim:
A method of performing transgastric surgical procedures, the method comprising: (a) identifying within a peritoneal cavity of a patient at least one region of visceral fat desired to be removed; (b) inserting an instrument through a mouth and an esophagus of the patient and into a stomach of the patient; (c) forming an opening in the wall of the stomach of the patient adjacent the region of the visceral fat desired to be removed; (d) passing the instrument under visual guidance through the opening into the peritoneal cavity; (e) positioning at least a portion of an organ with the at least one region of visceral fat formed thereon from the peritoneal cavity, through the opening in the wall of the stomach, and into the stomach; (f) removing visceral fat in the at least one region with the instrument, to include separating the visceral fat from the at least a portion of the organ; (g) removing the instrument from the peritoneal cavity; and closing the incision.