Surgical device including buttress material

1. A surgical stapling device comprising:

a staple cartridge assembly containing a plurality of surgical staples in an annular array, the staple cartridge assembly defining a tissue contacting surface on a distal end thereof;

a central shaft extending through the staple cartridge assembly, the central shaft and the staple cartridge assembly defining an annular space therebetween;

a first support member affixed to the central shaft and disposed within the annular space, the first support member having a distal end extending along the same radial plane as the tissue contacting surface of the staple cartridge assembly in radially spaced relation relative to the central shaft and the staple cartridge assembly;

a second support member affixed to the central shaft and disposed within the annular space, the second support member having a distal end abutting the central shaft; and

a buttress material supported on the tissue contacting surface of the staple cartridge assembly and attached to the distal end of the first support member.

2. The surgical stapling device according to claim 1 , wherein the first support member is one of a plurality of first support members disposed radially around the central shaft in spaced relation relative to each other.

3. The surgical stapling device according to claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of first support members is discrete from each other and independently affixed to the central shaft.

4. The surgical stapling device according to claim 1 , further comprising a knife disposed within the annular space between the central shaft and the staple cartridge assembly, and the first support member is positioned between the central shaft and the knife.

5. The surgical stapling device according to claim 1 , wherein the central shaft includes a distal end disposed along the same radial plane as the distal end of the first support member and the tissue contacting surface of the staple cartridge assembly.

6. The surgical stapling device according to claim 1 , wherein the buttress material includes an annular body having an inner edge defining an aperture therethrough and an attachment member extending from the inner edge of the annular body into the aperture, the attachment member attached to the distal end of the first support member.

7. The surgical stapling device according to claim 6 , wherein the annular body of the buttress material is equivalent in width to that of the tissue contacting surface.

8. The surgical stapling device according to claim 6 , wherein the first support member is one of a plurality of first support members and the attachment member is one of a plurality of attachment members, the plurality of attachment members in registration with and attached to the plurality of first support members.

9. The surgical stapling device according to claim 1 , wherein the first support member is monolithic with the central shaft.

10. The surgical stapling device according to claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the first support member is a distalmost end of the first support member.

11. The surgical stapling device according to claim 1 , wherein the second support member abuts the central shaft along an axial length of the second support member extending from a proximal end of the support member to the distal end of the support member.

12. The surgical stapling device according to claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the second support member extends along the same radial plane as the distal end of the first support member.

13. The surgical stapling device according to claim 1 , wherein the second support member is one of a plurality of second support members disposed radially around the central shaft in spaced relation relative to each other.

14. A surgical stapling device comprising:

a staple cartridge assembly containing a plurality of surgical staples in an annular array, the staple cartridge assembly defining a tissue contacting surface on a distal end thereof;

a central shaft extending through the staple cartridge assembly, the central shaft and the staple cartridge assembly defining an annular space therebetween;

first and second support members affixed to the central shaft and disposed within the annular space, each of the first and second support members having a distal end extending along the same radial plane as the tissue contacting surface of the staple cartridge assembly, wherein the distal end of the first support member is radially spaced relative to the central shaft and the staple cartridge assembly, and the distal end of the second support member abuts the central shaft; and

a buttress material supported on the tissue contacting surface of the staple cartridge assembly and attached to the distal ends of the first and second support members.

15. The surgical stapling device according to claim 14 , wherein the first support member is one of a plurality of first support members.

16. The surgical stapling device according to claim 14 , wherein the second support member is one of a plurality of second support members.

17. The surgical stapling device according to claim 14 , wherein the second support member abuts the central shaft along an axial length of the second support member.

18. The surgical stapling device according to claim 14 , further comprising a knife disposed within the annular space between the central shaft and the staple cartridge assembly.

19. The surgical stapling device according to claim 14 , wherein the distal ends of the first and second support members are permanently affixed to the buttress material.

20. The surgical stapling device according to claim 14 , wherein the buttress material includes an annular body having an inner portion defining an aperture therethrough, the inner portion of the annular body attached to the distal ends of the first and second support members.