Surgical stapler

1. A surgical stapler comprising;

a handle assembly;

an elongated body portion extending distally from the handle assembly; and

a head portion disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongated body portion and including an anvil assembly and a shell assembly, the anvil assembly being movable in relation to the shell assembly between spaced and approximated positions, the shell assembly including a fastener guide, the fastener guide having a central aperture, slots through which staples are ejected, and a plurality of radially spaced openings formed therein, the plurality of openings positioned between the central aperture and the slots, the anvil assembly having an anvil head and a plurality of projections extending proximally of the anvil head, the projections engageable with the plurality of openings of the fastener guide of the shell assembly, the plurality of openings aligned with respective projections of the anvil assembly.

2. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein each of the projections is frictionally received in a respective one of the plurality of openings.

3. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein the projections have a tapered end.

4. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein the anvil assembly includes an anvil shaft extending proximally of the anvil head, the anvil shaft being removably mounted to an anvil retainer of the stapler.

5. The surgical stapler of claim 4 , wherein the projections extend substantially parallel to the anvil shaft.

6. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of projections are substantially equidistantly radially spaced.

7. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein the anvil assembly includes a center rod and an anvil head, the center rod including at least one aperture extending transversely therethrough, the aperture configured and dimensioned to receive a flexible member such that the flexible member extends transversely through the center rod.

8. The surgical stapler of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of projections comprises first and second projections spaced approximately 180 degrees apart.

9. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of annular rows of staples positioned in the shell assembly.

10. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein the anvil assembly includes a center rod having a plurality of splines for alignment of the center rod with the shell assembly, the plurality of projections terminating distally of the splines.

11. An anvil assembly comprising an anvil head and a center rod extending from the anvil head, the center rod including a first annular engagement member configured to removably engage an anvil retainer of a surgical stapling device, and a plurality of projections extending proximally of the anvil head for engagement with a plurality of openings in the surgical stapling device, wherein the center rod includes a plurality of splines for alignment of the center rod with a shell assembly of a surgical stapling device, the projections terminating distally of the splines.

12. The anvil assembly of claim 11 , wherein the center rod includes a plurality of apertures extending transversely therethrough, the apertures configured and dimensioned to receive a suture therethrough.

13. The anvil assembly of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of projections are substantially equidistantly radially spaced.

14. The anvil assembly of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of projections comprises first and second projections spaced approximately 180 degrees apart.

15. The anvil assembly of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of openings are radially spaced and each of the projections are frictionally received in one of the plurality of openings.

16. The anvil assembly of claim 11 , wherein the projections have a tapered end.