An anvil assembly for use with a surgical stapling device for joining tissue portions, the anvil assembly having a shaft for removably coupling the anvil assembly to a cartridge assembly and an anvil head pivotally mounted to a distal end of the shaft, the anvil head transitionable between a first condition, where a tissue contacting surface of the anvil head is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the shaft, and a second condition where the tissue contacting surface of the anvil head is tilted relative to the shaft,characterized in that the anvil assembly further comprises:an anvil sleeve having an elongate portion slidably disposed about the shaft of the anvil assembly and an arm extending from the elongate portion, the anvil sleeve being transitionable between a first position where the elongate portion of the anvil sleeve is releasably secured to the anvil head of the anvil assembly to secure the anvil head in the first condition, and a second position where the elongate portion of the anvil sleeve is disengaged and spaced from the anvil head of the anvil assembly to allow the anvil head to transition to the second condition, wherein the arm extends through the anvil head and engages a distal facing surface of the anvil head as the sleeve transitions to the second position to transition the anvil head to the second condition.
