A surgical stapler comprising: a handle assembly; a cartridge assembly connected to the handle assembly; the cartridge assembly including a jaw assembly at a distal end; the jaw assembly having a longitudinal axis and including a first jaw connected to a second jaw; the first jaw having an anvil surface; the second jaw has a top surface and is movable relative to the first jaw; the jaw assembly has a closed position in which the anvil surface is adjacent to the top surface and a gap is defined between the top surface and the anvil surface; the second jaw includes a plurality of staple pockets; each staple pocket has an opening at the top surface; the cartridge assembly includes an actuator coupled to the handle assembly and at least one caming surface movable by the actuator within the second jaw and along a length of the second jaw; the cartridge assembly includes a blade configured to be movable within the gap defined between the top surface and the anvil surface when the first jaw and second jaw are in the closed position; the blade is configured to sever tissue located between the first jaw and the second jaw defining a cutting line; and a plurality of staples (54, 182, 190, 192, 204) positioned inside the staple pockets; each staple (54, 182, 190, 192, 204) includes an open configuration for penetrating tissue and a closed configuration for retaining tissue; the plurality of staples (54, 182, 190, 192, 204) are located inside the staple pockets in an open configuration, wherein, with the jaw assembly in a closed position, translation of the caming surface along the second jaw is configured to eject the staples (54, 182, 190, 192, 204) from the staple pockets toward the anvil surface of the first jaw to deform the staples (54, 182, 190, 192, 204) from an open configuration against the anvil surface to a closed configuration, characterized in that the anvil surface includes a series of channels; each channel having a longitudinal axis parallel to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the jaw assembly; each channel being configured for assisting in closing a staple (54, 182, 190, 192, 204) and wherein the channels extend across the anvil surface on either side of the cutting line and the channels are configured to permit the formation of staples into a closed configuration. a handle assembly; a cartridge assembly connected to the handle assembly; the cartridge assembly including a jaw assembly at a distal end; the jaw assembly having a longitudinal axis and including a first jaw connected to a second jaw; the first jaw having an anvil surface; the second jaw has a top surface and is movable relative to the first jaw; the jaw assembly has a closed position in which the anvil surface is adjacent to the top surface and a gap is defined between the top surface and the anvil surface; the second jaw includes a plurality of staple pockets; each staple pocket has an opening at the top surface; the cartridge assembly includes an actuator coupled to the handle assembly and at least one caming surface movable by the actuator within the second jaw and along a length of the second jaw; the cartridge assembly includes a blade configured to be movable within the gap defined between the top surface and the anvil surface when the first jaw and second jaw are in the closed position; the blade is configured to sever tissue located between the first jaw and the second jaw defining a cutting line; and a plurality of staples (54, 182, 190, 192, 204) positioned inside the staple pockets; each staple (54, 182, 190, 192, 204) includes an open configuration for penetrating tissue and a closed configuration for retaining tissue; the plurality of staples (54, 182, 190, 192, 204) are located inside the staple pockets in an open configuration, wherein, with the jaw assembly in a closed position, translation of the caming surface along the second jaw is configured to eject the staples (54, 182, 190, 192, 204) from the staple pockets toward the anvil surface of the first jaw to deform the staples (54, 182, 190, 192, 204) from an open configuration against the anvil surface to a closed configuration, characterized in that the anvil surface includes a series of channels; each channel having a longitudinal axis parallel to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the jaw assembly; each channel being configured for assisting in closing a staple (54, 182, 190, 192, 204) and wherein the channels extend across the anvil surface on either side of the cutting line and the channels are configured to permit the formation of staples into a closed configuration.