Surgical instrument with pivotable jaw member

1. A surgical instrument for surgically joining tissue, the surgical instrument comprising:

a handle assembly;

an elongated portion extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis; and

an end effector disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongated portion, the end effector including:

a first jaw member defining a first axis, the first axis being transverse to the longitudinal axis, the first jaw member being pivotable about the first axis; and

a second jaw member defining a second axis, the second jaw member being pivotable about the second axis, the first and second axes spaced apart along the longitudinal axis; wherein the first jaw member includes a cartridge assembly and the second jaw member includes an anvil assembly, the cartridge assembly including two rows of staples therein and each row of staples is individually actuatable;

wherein at least one of the first jaw member and the second jaw member is movable with respect to the other between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the second axis is parallel to the first axis.

3. A surgical instrument for surgically joining tissue, the surgical instrument comprising:

a handle assembly;

an elongated portion extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis; and

an end effector disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongated portion, the end effector including:

a first jaw member defining a first axis, the first axis being transverse to the longitudinal axis, the first jaw member being pivotable about the first axis; and

a second jaw member defining a second axis, the second jaw member being pivotable about the second axis, the first and second axes spaced apart along the longitudinal axis, wherein the second axis is parallel to the first axis;

wherein at least one of the first jaw member and the second jaw member is movable with respect to the other between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position, the second jaw member being configured to pivot about the second axis in response to pivoting of the first jaw member about the first axis.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the second jaw member is configured to pivot in an opposite direction as the first jaw member.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge assembly includes a knife disposed at least partially therein and wherein each of the knife and the two rows of staples is individually actuatable.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5 , wherein the cartridge assembly includes three angularly offset pushers disposed therein and wherein each of the three pushers is independently moveable with respect to each other.

7. A surgical instrument for surgically joining tissue, the surgical instrument comprising:

a handle assembly;

an elongated portion extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis; and

an end effector disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongated portion, the end effector including:

a first jaw member defining a first axis, the first axis being transverse to the longitudinal axis, the first jaw member being pivotable about the first axis; and

a second jaw member defining a second axis, the second jaw member being pivotable about the second axis, the first and second axes spaced apart along the longitudinal axis;

wherein at least one of the first jaw member and the second jaw member is movable with respect to the other between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position; and

a firing rod disposed in mechanical cooperation with the handle assembly, the firing rod being configured to individually engage at least two angularly offset pushers disposed at least partially within the first jaw member.

8. A surgical instrument for surgically joining tissue, the surgical instrument comprising:

a handle assembly;

an elongated portion extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis; and

an end effector disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongated portion, the end effector including:

a first jaw member defining a first axis extending along the first jaw member, the first jaw member being pivotable about the first axis and including a cartridge assembly, the cartridge assembly having a first row of surgical fasteners of a first type and a second row of surgical fasteners of a second type; and

a second jaw member including an anvil assembly, the second jaw member defining a second axis extending along the second jaw member, the second jaw member pivotable about the second axis, the second axis being parallel to the first axis, the first and second axes spaced apart along the longitudinal axis;

wherein at least one of the first jaw member and the second jaw member is movable with respect to the other between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein the first type is selected from the group consisting of: a material, a size, staples, and two-part fasteners.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 9 , wherein the second type is selected from the group consisting of a metal material, a polymeric material, a staple leg length, and two-part fasteners.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 10 , wherein the first type is different from the second type.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein the cartridge assembly includes two rows of staples therein and wherein each row of staples is individually actuatable.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein the cartridge assembly includes a knife disposed at least partially therein and wherein each of the knife and the two rows of staples is individually actuatable.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first jaw member is pivotable independent of the second jaw member.