Devices and methods are provided for ablational treatment of regions of the
digestive tract in post-bariatric
surgery patients who fail to achieve or maintain the desired
weight loss. Bariatric procedures include Roux-en-Y
gastric bypass, biliopancreatic diversion, and sleeve
gastrectomy. These procedures reconstruct
gastrointestinal tract features, creating pouches,
stoma, and tubes that
restrict and / or divert the digestive flow. Post-surgical dilation of altered structures is common and diminishes their bariatric effectiveness.
Ablation of compromised structures can reduce their size and compliance, restoring bariatric effectiveness.
Ablation, as provided the invention, starts at the mucosa and penetrates deeper into the
gastrointestinal wall in a controlled manner. Control may also be provided by a fractional
ablation that ablates some tissue within a target region and leaves a portion substantially unaffected. Embodiments of the device include an ablational
electrode array that spans 360 degrees and an array that spans an arc of less than 360 degrees.