Methods and Devices for Reinforcing a Staple Line
Adjunct material and methods of using adjunct material to reinforce a staple line are provided herein. In general, adjunct material can be used to maintain a seal in tissue and prevent stapled tissue from tearing. This adjunct material can be coupled to a jaw of a surgical stapler, and can be deployed into tissue along with the staples. In some embodiments, the adjunct material can be sized and shaped so that a portion of the material extends laterally outside of the staple line and distributes strain to tissue outside of the staple line. In certain aspects, sealant can be applied to the staple line and to the adjunct material in various ways to further seal the tissue and/or prevent leaks from forming in the tissue.
1 . A staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapler, comprising:
a cartridge body having a plurality of staple cavities configured to seat staples therein; and,
an adjunct material mated to the cartridge body and configured to be detached therefrom as the staples are deployed from the cartridge body and into tissue, the adjunct material including a solid central portion sized and shaped to substantially correspond to the cartridge body, and a wing portion extending along at least two sides of the solid central portion such that the wing portion extends beyond a lateral boundary of the cartridge body in a direction traverse to a longitudinal axis of the cartridge body.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the solid central portion is configured to reinforce a seal around staples when the adjunct material and the staples are coupled to tissue.
3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the solid central portion of the adjunct material is substantially rectangular shaped.
4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the solid central portion includes first and second opposed edges.
5 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the wing portion extends along the first and second opposed edges of the adjunct material.
6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the wing portion is configured to distribute a strain to tissue beyond the staple line when the adjunct material is disposed on tissue.
7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the wing portion includes rounded corners.
8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the wing portion has a mesh structure.
9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the wing portion has a plurality of openings formed therein.
10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the solid and wing portions are formed from a single polymer.
11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the wing portion is more flexible than the solid central portion of the adjunct material.
12 . An end effector for a surgical instrument, comprising:
first and second jaws, the first jaw having a cartridge body removably attached hereto, the cartridge body having a plurality of staple cavities configured to seat staples therein and the second jaw having an anvil with a plurality of staples forming openings formed therein, at least one of the first and second jaws being movable relative to the other jaw; and,
a buttress having a width greater than a width of at least one of the cartridge body and the anvil, the buttress comprising
(i) a compressible, central region configured to seal around a staple, and
(ii) a strain relief region adjacent to the compressible region, the strain relief region having a plurality of openings formed therein and the strain relief region extending from at least two sides of the central region,
wherein the buttress is releasably retained on at least one of the cartridge body and the anvil and is configured to be released therefrom upon deployment of staples from the cartridge body and into the compressible region of the buttress.
13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of openings include slits.
14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein when the buttress and the staples are deployed into tissue, the plurality of slits extend parallel to longitudinal axes of the staples.
15 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of openings are spaced apart such that the strain relief region is more flexible along a lateral portion thereof than a portion of the strain relief region adjacent to the compressible region.
16 . A method for implanting a tissue reinforcement material onto tissue, comprising;
engaging tissue between a cartridge assembly and an anvil of a surgical stapler at a surgical site, at least one of the cartridge assembly and the anvil having a tissue reinforcement material releasably retained thereon, the tissue reinforcement material including a compressible, central region configured to seal around a staple and a flexible supportive region adjacent to the central region and defining an edge of the tissue reinforcement material; and
actuating the surgical stapler to eject staples from the cartridge assembly so as to form a staple line through the central region and into the tissue to hold the tissue reinforcement material at the surgical site.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein actuating the surgical stapler ejects the staples through the central region and does not eject the staples through the flexible supportive region of the tissue reinforcement material.
18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising inserting the cartridge assembly and the anvil into the surgical site with the flexible supportive region folded around at least one of the cartridge assembly and the anvil.
19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein actuating the surgical stapler advances a cutting member through the tissue reinforcement material and releases the tissue reinforcement material from the surgical stapler.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein actuating the surgical stapler advances the cutting member through the central region of the tissue reinforcement material.