The invention relates to a novel medical apparatus for treatment of obesity,diabetes, and/or other obesity-associated health problems. The apparatusis used to impede absorption of nutrients within the gastrointestinal tract,i.e., substantially isolating nutrients from a portion of the gastrointestinaltract. The apparatus can be implanted using minimally invasive techniques,such a transesophageal approach under visualization. More specifically, theapparatus is used to impede absorption of nutrients within the gastrointestinaltract, i.e., substantially isolating nutrients from a portion of the gastrointestinaltract. The apparatus may include a sleeve and at least one anchoring componentattached to the sleeve with a releasable component. The sleeve may have differentproperties along its length or there may be multiple sleeves having differentproperties.
