Method for treating a sphincter

A method of treating tissue regions at or near the lower esophageal sphincter comprising the steps of

• providing an expandable basket structure with a coupled first, a second and a third arm, the expandable basket structure further including a first energy delivery device coupled to the first arm, wherein the basket structure has a non-deployed state and a deployed state,
• introducing the basket structure in the non-deployed 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 first energy delivery device from the basket structure to pierce an interior of the first tissue region,
• delivering sufficient energy from the first energy delivery device to create a lesion in the interior of the first region,
• retracting the first energy delivery device from the first tissue region,
• collapsing the structure to the non-deployed state,
• moving the structure in the non-deployed state from the first tissue region to a second tissue region comprising the lower esophageal sphincter,
• advancing the first energy delivery device from the basket structure to pierce an interior of the second tissue region,
• delivering sufficient energy from the first 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 basket structure from the esophagus, whereby a pattern of lesions is formed in the first and second tissue regions to create a desired tissue effect.