Apparatus and method for gastric reduction

An apparatus for forming a sleeve from surrounding internal body tissue:

• a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft is configured to couple to a vacuum source for applying a vacuum force to the internal body tissue;
• one or more sections extending along an outside surface of the shaft generally along the longitudinal axis;
• and
• one or more vacuum apertures positioned within each section, wherein each aperture connects to the vacuum source for applying the vacuum force to the surrounding internal body tissue.

A method for reducing gastric volume, the method comprising:

• providing a tissue gathering device, wherein the tissue gathering device is configured to apply a force to inner portions of a stomach to collapse the inner portions toward the tissue gathering assembly;
• positioning the tissue gathering device within the stomach, wherein the stomach is accessed through an esophagus;
• gathering tissue of the inner portions of the stomach to within a suture area, wherein the suture area comprises an area immediately surrounding the tissue gathering device, and wherein tissue gathering device forms a channel from the gathered tissue;
• providing a suture near the suture area;
• advancing the suture into the suture area to penetrate at least a portion of the gathered tissue;
• and
• binding the gathered tissue to form a sleeve, wherein the suture comprises a structure for maintaining the shape of the sleeve.