Patent ID: 7833280

Claim:
A method of inducing weight loss in a patient having an esophagus, a stomach, and an intestine, the method comprising the steps of: passing in a distal direction a pouch implant having a proximal opening and a distal opening through the esophagus and into the stomach; coupling the pouch implant to tissue at the gastro-esophageal junction of the stomach; passing in a distal direction a sleeve implant comprising an elongate sleeve having an upstream opening, a downstream opening, and a lumen extending therethrough, such that the upstream opening of the sleeve implant is aligned with the distal opening of the pouch implant; coupling the sleeve implant to the pouch implant; and positioning the downstream opening of the sleeve implant within the intestine, such that food ingested by the patient passes from the esophagus directly through the pouch implant to the sleeve implant, and flows from the sleeve implant into the intestine.