Endocutter with auto-feed buttress

1. A surgical method of treating tissue within the body of a patient, the method comprising:

providing an endocutter having a staple holder and a plurality of staples, wherein a plurality, but less than all, of said staples are arranged in a firing position within said staple holder;

engaging tissue of the patient with said staple holder;

deploying said plurality of said staples in said firing position through a buttress and into tissue of the patient;

disengaging said end effector from tissue of the patient;

moving a plurality of said staples into said firing position;

engaging tissue of the patient with said staple holder;

advancing a segment of said buttress relative to said staple holder; and

repeating said deploying;

wherein said endocutter includes a pulley and a cable partially wrapped around said pulley, wherein said cable is connected to said buttress, and wherein said method further comprises tensioning said cable to perform said advancing.

2. The surgical method of claim 1 , wherein said endocutter includes a knife, and wherein said method further comprises cutting said buttress longitudinally into two segments with said knife during said deploying.

3. The surgical method of claim 2 , wherein said cutting occurs along a perforation in said buttress.

4. The surgical method of claim 1 , wherein said buttress is transversely perforated at longitudinally-spaced intervals, and wherein said method further comprises separating a distal portion of said buttress from a remainder of said buttress along said transverse perforations after said deploying.