Surgical methods involving cutting and sealing tissue include affixing a first adjunct material to tissue at a treatment site, such as by stapling the adjunct to tissue. A second adjunct material is applied to at least a portion of the first adjunct material such that the second adjunct material interacts with the first adjunct material to form a seal in an area of the tissue covered by at least one of the first and the second adjunct material. The resulting tissue sealing structure, which includes a combination of the two adjuncts, is believed to be superior to the sealing properties of either adjunct alone.

A fastener cartridge can include, one, a cartridge body comprising a deck and a plurality of fastener cavities and, two, a plurality of fasteners positioned in the fastener cavities. The cartridge body can further comprise extensions extending from the deck having different sizes and/or configurations. The extensions can control the flow of tissue relative to the deck and/or support the fasteners as they are ejected from the fastener cavities.

A method for deforming a staple comprising a base, a first staple leg, and a second staple leg, wherein the base, the first staple leg, and the second staple leg are positioned within a common plane prior to being deformed, the method comprising positioning the first staple leg within a first cup of a staple pocket, the first cup comprising a first inner surface, applying a first compressive force to the first staple leg to bend the first staple leg toward the base and the second staple leg, contacting the first inner surface with the end of the first staple leg to bend the end of the first staple leg toward a first side of the base, and deforming the first staple leg such that the end of the first staple leg crosses a mid-line of the staple defined between the first staple leg and the second staple leg.

An end effector of a surgical stapler includes first and second jaw members and a buttress releasably secured to the first jaw member. The first jaw member defines a first projection and a second projection distal of the first projection. The buttress defines a first slot and a first aperture distal of the first slot. The first slot is dimensioned to receive the first projection of the first jaw member, and the first aperture is dimensioned to receive the second projection of the first jaw member.

Surgical stapling devices have a surgical buttress attached to an anvil jaw member, a cartridge jaw member, or both. The surgical buttress possesses a therapeutic layer of a therapeutic agent in a pattern thereon. The pattern may reflect various concentrations of a therapeutic agent, different therapeutic agents, or both.

An anvil buttress loading system includes an anvil assembly, an anvil buttress retention clip coupled to the anvil assembly, an anvil buttress loading tool, and an anvil buttress. The anvil buttress is retainable on each of the anvil buttress loading tool and the anvil assembly, and is transferrable from the anvil buttress loading tool to the anvil assembly.

Surgical methods involving cutting and sealing tissue include affixing a first adjunct material to tissue at a treatment site, such as by stapling the adjunct to tissue. A second adjunct material is applied to at least a portion of the first adjunct material such that the second adjunct material interacts with the first adjunct material to form a seal in an area of the tissue covered by at least one of the first and the second adjunct material. The resulting tissue sealing structure, which includes a combination of the two adjuncts, is believed to be superior to the sealing properties of either adjunct alone.

An electromechanical surgical system having an instrument housing for connecting with a shaft assembly, a shaft assembly, and an end effector. The end effector is an articulating end effector and the system includes a cable tensioning system for tensioning the articulation cables. The system includes a clutch mechanism for preventing slippage of a drive cable.

A loading assembly includes a cartridge having a cartridge body with rows of staple pockets. A carrier includes a platform adapted to releasably retain the cartridge. A shell is laterally spaced from the platform and flexibly coupled thereto. The arm extends through the shell at an acute angle and the shell has a passage that is configured to receive a jaw member of a surgical stapling instrument therethrough. A surgical buttress has a distal region with a first orifice and a cutout and a proximal region with a second orifice. The first orifice is attachable to a peg located in a distal region of the shell and the second orifice is attachable to a post located in a distal region of the cartridge such that a portion of the surgical buttress extends through the passage of the shell. The cutout is configured to receive an arm of the platform therethrough.

An assembly includes an applicator, which includes a housing defining a gap configured to receive an end effector jaw of a surgical stapler. The applicator also includes a platform positioned within the gap. The assembly also includes a buttress assembly having a first length and positioned on the platform. The assembly further includes a trimming feature presented by the applicator or the buttress assembly, and configured to facilitate trimming of the buttress assembly from the first length to a predetermined second length.