Patent ID: 8177853

Claim:
A method for treating obesity in a patient, the method comprising providing an intestinal sleeve device comprising an elongate polymeric sleeve at least 20 cm in length and extending between proximal and distal open ends, and an expandable wire structure disposed entirely within the sleeve, the expandable wire structure being adapted, in its expanded form, to press against the walls of the intestine, passing the entire intestinal sleeve device in a distal direction through the patient's esophagus and into the small intestine of the patient; positioning within the small intestine of the patient said intestinal sleeve device, with said expandable wire structure adapted, in its expanded form, and with the device positioned entirely within the small intestine of the patient, to anchor the device within the patient's duodenum, by pressing the sleeve against the wall of the intestine, and with the sleeve device positioned entirely within the small intestine of the patient, expanding the expandable wire structure in the device, thereby anchoring the sleeve device within the duodenum of the intestine, and allowing food from the stomach to flow through the intestinal sleeve device within the duodenum while preventing absorption of food through the walls of the duodenum, wherein the sleeve device is anchored entirely within the duodenum, wherein the wire structure in the sleeve device is self-expanding, and said expanding includes allowing the wire structure to self expand, thereby pressing the device against the walls of the duodenum, and wherein the outer surface of the sleeve is provided with surface features to prevent movement of the device within the duodenum.