Patent ID: 8146791

Claim:
An assembly for disposing a support structure between intestinal sections, comprising: a) an annular surgical stapling device, having an anvil assembly and a tubular body portion, the anvil assembly having an anvil member and a first shaft, the tubular body portion carrying a plurality of surgical staples in an annular configuration, the tubular body portion having a second shaft disposed radially inward of the surgical staples, the first shaft of the anvil member being attachable to the second shaft of the tubular body; b) a support structure having a generally centrally located aperture for being disposed on one of the first shaft and the second shaft, wherein the support structure is deployable from a first collapsed position on the shaft to a second expanded position on the shaft; and c) the support structure comprising a material selected from the group consisting of at least one of an adhesive, a sealant, a hemostat, and a medicament.