An inventive digestive tract barrier includes a material defining dimensions of a tube sized to deploy within the digestive tract of a subject. The material or stitches that make up the barrier disintegrate in a controlled manner. The disintegration precludes the need for a surgical procedure to retrieve the barrier and allows for increased nutritional absorption after behavior modification has occurred. Through the inclusion of opening or fenestrations in the barrier, bile flow and nutrition absorption are facilitated. Disintegration is facilitated by formation of the barrier from biodegradable material, stitching non-degradable swatches with disintegrating stitching, or the use of a MEMS cutter. A digestive barrier coated on either the interior or exterior of the tube facilitates management of conditions such as obesity, colitis, and Crohn's disease.
