A surgical instrument includes a housing having a barrel with distal and proximal end portions. The barrel includes a handle depending from a lower end thereof and a concave portion defined within and extending along an upper surface thereof from the proximal end portion of the barrel to the distal end portion of the barrel. A shaft extends from the distal end portion of the housing and supports an end effector assembly at a distal end thereof configured to treat tissue. The concave portion is configured to enhance visibility of the end effector assembly during tissue treatment.

Embodiments include a method of stapling an anatomical structure of a patient during a minimally invasive procedure, the anatomical structure having a first side and a second side, the method comprising the steps of providing an end effector, the end effector comprising a first jaw having an anvil, a second jaw having a cartridge housing a plurality of staples, providing a buttress, the buttress comprising a first buttress member and a second buttress member, attaching the first buttress member to the anvil, attaching the second buttress member to the cartridge, deploying the plurality of staples, and cutting the first buttress member and the second buttress member.

Embodiments include a method of stapling an anatomical structure of a patient during a minimally invasive procedure, the anatomical structure having a first side and a second side, the method comprising the steps of providing an end effector, the end effector comprising a first jaw having an anvil, a second jaw having a cartridge housing a plurality of staples, providing a buttress, the buttress comprising a first buttress member and a second buttress member, attaching the first buttress member to the anvil, attaching the second buttress member to the cartridge, deploying the plurality of staples, and cutting the first buttress member and the second buttress member.

A surgical instrument includes a housing, a shaft extending therefrom, an end effector assembly supported by the shaft, a movable handle, and a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a translatable drive member for actuating the end effector assembly, and a torsion spring including first and second legs. The first leg is configured to translate through the housing in response to movement of the movable handle relative to the housing. The second leg is configured to translate through the housing in cooperation with the first leg to move the drive member longitudinally when a force acting on the drive member is less than a threshold force, and to remain in fixed position, thereby tensioning the torsion spring and retaining the drive member in fixed position when the force acting on the drive member is equal to or exceeds the threshold force.

A surgical instrument includes a housing, a shaft extending therefrom, an end effector assembly supported by the shaft, a movable handle, and a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a translatable drive member for actuating the end effector assembly, and a torsion spring including first and second legs. The first leg is configured to translate through the housing in response to movement of the movable handle relative to the housing. The second leg is configured to translate through the housing in cooperation with the first leg to move the drive member longitudinally when a force acting on the drive member is less than a threshold force, and to remain in fixed position, thereby tensioning the torsion spring and retaining the drive member in fixed position when the force acting on the drive member is equal to or exceeds the threshold force.

An end effector includes an anvil and a cartridge. The anvil can include a plurality of staple pockets positioned on an anvil face. The cartridge can be configured to retain a plurality of staples. Each of the plurality of staples includes a first staple leg, a second staple leg, and a crown connecting the first staple leg and the second staple leg, and each has an open staple configuration where the first staple leg and the second staple leg are generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the crown and a closed staple configuration where a first tip of the first staple leg is bent in a first direction away from the longitudinal axis of the crown, and a second tip of the second staple leg is bent in a second direction away from the longitudinal axis of the crown, the first direction being different than the second direction.

An end effector includes an anvil and a cartridge. The anvil can include a plurality of staple pockets positioned on an anvil face. The cartridge can be configured to retain a plurality of staples. Each of the plurality of staples includes a first staple leg, a second staple leg, and a crown connecting the first staple leg and the second staple leg, and each has an open staple configuration where the first staple leg and the second staple leg are generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the crown and a closed staple configuration where a first tip of the first staple leg is bent in a first direction away from the longitudinal axis of the crown, and a second tip of the second staple leg is bent in a second direction away from the longitudinal axis of the crown, the first direction being different than the second direction.

Embodiments include an end effector including an anvil, the anvil having an anvil face, an anvil blade channel defined by the anvil face, a first pocket row of first row staple pockets, a second pocket row of second row staple pockets, a third pocket row of third row staple pockets, a fourth pocket row of fourth row staple pockets, a fifth pocket row of fifth row staple pockets, a sixth pocket row of sixth row staple pockets, a cartridge having a cartridge face defining a cartridge blade channel, the cartridge being configured to retain a plurality of staples, and a blade, the blade having a cutting edge, where the blade is movable from a first position at a distal end of the cartridge to a second position at a proximal end of the cartridge.

Embodiments include an end effector including an anvil, the anvil having an anvil face, an anvil blade channel defined by the anvil face, a first pocket row of first row staple pockets, a second pocket row of second row staple pockets, a third pocket row of third row staple pockets, a fourth pocket row of fourth row staple pockets, a fifth pocket row of fifth row staple pockets, a sixth pocket row of sixth row staple pockets, a cartridge having a cartridge face defining a cartridge blade channel, the cartridge being configured to retain a plurality of staples, and a blade, the blade having a cutting edge, where the blade is movable from a first position at a distal end of the cartridge to a second position at a proximal end of the cartridge.

A method of surgery includes grasping tissue between tissue-treating plates of first and second jaw members. One or both of the jaw members includes a bifurcated body having first and second jaw components. Each jaw component includes a tissue-treating plate portion disposed thereon. The tissue-treating plate portions cooperate to define the tissue-treating plate of the jaw member. The method further includes energizing the tissue-treating plates of the first and second jaw members for conducting energy through grasped tissue to treat grasped tissue and separating grasped and treated tissue by rotating at least one of the first and second jaw components of the at least one jaw member relative to the other from an aligned orientation, wherein the tissue-treating plate portions are substantially co-planar relative to one another, to an angled orientation, wherein the tissue-treating plate portions are angled relative to one another.