A surgical stapling device for joining tissue portions, comprising: a handle assembly; an elongate body extending from the handle assembly; a cartridge assembly supported on a distal end of the elongate body, the cartridge assembly including a staple cartridge containing a plurality of surgical staples in an annular array; an anvil assembly at a distal end of the surgical stapling device, the anvil assembly having a shaft for removably coupling the anvil assembly to the cartridge assembly and a head pivotally mounted to a distal end of the shaft, the anvil assembly translatable relative to the cartridge assembly between a first position, where the anvil assembly is spaced from the cartridge assembly, and a second position, where the anvil assembly is approximated relative to the cartridge assembly for clamping tissue disposed therebetween, the head of the anvil assembly transitionable between a first condition, where a tissue contacting surface of the head is substantially perpendicular to the shaft, and a second condition, where the tissue contacting surface of the head is tilted relative to the shaft; characterized in that said surgical stapling device further comprises: an anvil sleeve including an elongate portion slidably disposed about the shaft of the anvil assembly and an arm extending from the elongate portion, the anvil sleeve being transitionable between a first position, where the elongate portion of the anvil sleeve is engaged to the head of the anvil assembly to secure the head in the first condition, and a second position, where the elongate portion of the anvil sleeve is spaced from head of the anvil assembly to allow the head to transition to the second condition, and wherein the arm extends through a channel in the anvil head and includes a flange disposed on an opposite side of the anvil head from the elongate portion, the flange being configured to engage the anvil head when the anvil sleeve transitions to the second position to transition the anvil head to the second condition. a handle assembly; an elongate body extending from the handle assembly; a cartridge assembly supported on a distal end of the elongate body, the cartridge assembly including a staple cartridge containing a plurality of surgical staples in an annular array; an anvil assembly at a distal end of the surgical stapling device, the anvil assembly having a shaft for removably coupling the anvil assembly to the cartridge assembly and a head pivotally mounted to a distal end of the shaft, the anvil assembly translatable relative to the cartridge assembly between a first position, where the anvil assembly is spaced from the cartridge assembly, and a second position, where the anvil assembly is approximated relative to the cartridge assembly for clamping tissue disposed therebetween, the head of the anvil assembly transitionable between a first condition, where a tissue contacting surface of the head is substantially perpendicular to the shaft, and a second condition, where the tissue contacting surface of the head is tilted relative to the shaft; an anvil sleeve including an elongate portion slidably disposed about the shaft of the anvil assembly and an arm extending from the elongate portion, the anvil sleeve being transitionable between a first position, where the elongate portion of the anvil sleeve is engaged to the head of the anvil assembly to secure the head in the first condition, and a second position, where the elongate portion of the anvil sleeve is spaced from head of the anvil assembly to allow the head to transition to the second condition, and wherein the arm extends through a channel in the anvil head and includes a flange disposed on an opposite side of the anvil head from the elongate portion, the flange being configured to engage the anvil head when the anvil sleeve transitions to the second position to transition the anvil head to the second condition.