Surgical stapler

1. An anvil assembly comprising an anvil shaft and an anvil head, the anvil shaft movable longitudinally to move the anvil head longitudinally between distal and proximal positions, the anvil head having anvil depressions for forming surgical staples, the anvil head mounted to the anvil shaft, the anvil shaft having a longitudinal axis and first and second spaced apart elongated projections fixedly attached to the anvil shaft to prevent all movement of the projections in relation to the anvil shaft, wherein longitudinal movement of the anvil shaft moves the projections longitudinally, the first projection having a first end fixedly attached to the anvil shaft and extending outwardly with respect to the anvil shaft and the second projection having a second end fixedly attached to the anvil shaft and extending outwardly with respect to the anvil shaft, the first end being spaced axially distally along the longitudinal axis from the second end such that the first end is closer to the anvil head than the second end, the projections forming multiple spaced apart purse-string suture capturing regions along the shaft.

2. The anvil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second projections are positioned at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the anvil shaft.

3. The anvil assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first and second projections angle away from the anvil head toward a proximal end of the anvil shaft.

4. The anvil assembly of claim 1 , further comprising mounting structure on the anvil shaft for releasably mounting the anvil shaft to a stapling instrument.

5. The anvil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second projections are substantially equidistantly axially spaced.

6. The anvil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the projections comprise a plurality of elongated pins.

7. The anvil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the projections angle toward the proximal end of the anvil shaft.

8. 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 end 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 anvil assembly having an anvil shaft having an outer wall defining an outer surface, an anvil head and a plurality of elongated projections extending beyond the outer surface and configured and dimensioned to receive and engage a purse string suture, the projections having a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the projections, the projections being fixed in relation to the anvil shaft to prevent all movement of the projections in relation to the anvil shaft, the projections extending at an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the anvil shaft such that the longitudinal axis of the projections are angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the anvil shaft, the projections being axially spaced along the longitudinal axis of the anvil shaft to form multiple spaced apart purse-string suture capturing regions, the projections movable in relation to the shell assembly by movement of the anvil assembly in relation to the shell assembly.

9. The surgical stapler of claim 8 , wherein the anvil shaft extends proximally of the anvil head, the anvil shaft being removably mounted to an anvil retainer of the stapler.

10. The surgical stapler of claim 8 , wherein the projections are integral with the anvil shaft and formed by angled cutouts in the anvil shaft, the cutouts angling toward a distal end of the anvil shaft.

11. The surgical stapler of claim 10 , wherein the cutouts have a first dimension and a second dimension closer to a center of the anvil shaft smaller than the first dimension.

12. The surgical stapler of claim 11 , wherein the dimension of the cutouts progressively decreases toward the longitudinal axis of the shaft to form cinch regions for the suture.

13. The surgical stapler of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of projections are attached to the anvil shaft.

14. The surgical stapler of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of projections comprises a plurality of pins substantially equidistantly longitudinally spaced.