A stapler apparatus for stapling tissue, the apparatus comprising: (a) an anvil having an anvil head, wherein the anvil head defines a staple-forming pocket; (b) a stapling head assembly operable to drive a staple toward the staple-forming pocket; and (c) a staple and pledget assembly (202; 302) coupled with the stapling head assembly, wherein the staple and pledget assembly (202; 302) comprises: (i) a staple having a pair of legs (68A, 68B) and a crown (200; 300), wherein the crown has a crown width and a crown length, wherein the pair of legs are disposed substantially perpendicular to the crown in a first position, wherein the pair of legs is operable to advance against the pocket in the anvil head to form a staple with bent legs, and (ii) a pledget (204; 304) including an upper surface (206; 306), a lower surface (208; 308) and a pair of channels (210A, 210B; 310A, 310B) disposed between upper surface (206; 306) and lower surface (208; 308), wherein the channels (210A, 210B; 310A, 310B) are sized and shaped to receive distal ends (220A, 220B; 320A, 320B) of the pair of legs (68A, 68B) of the staple prior to being advanced against the pocket in the anvil head, wherein the pledget (204; 304) includes a pair of end portions (212, 214; 312, 314) and an intermediate portion (216; 316) disposed between the pair of end portions (212, 214; 312, 314), wherein a width of the intermediate portion (216; 316) is greater than a width of each of the end portions (212, 214; 312, 314), and wherein the intermediate portion (216, 316) comprises at least one projection (319A, 319B); characterized in that: the staple-forming pocket is arranged such that distal ends (220A, 220B; 320A, 320B) of the pair of legs (68A, 68B) of the staple are directed to a position on the intermediate portion (216; 316) of the upper surface (206; 306) of pledget (204; 304) that is laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of the crown of the staple, wherein each of the distal ends (220A, 220B; 320A, 320B) are either both disposed on a first side of the crown or respectively disposed on a first and second side of the crown, such that the upper surface (206; 306) of the pledget (204; 304) deflects the distal ends (220A, 220B; 320A, 320B) of the pair of legs (68A, 68B) of the staple away from a longitudinal axis of the crown to provide a formed staple having a three-dimensional pressure profile. (a) an anvil having an anvil head, wherein the anvil head defines a staple-forming pocket; (b) a stapling head assembly operable to drive a staple toward the staple-forming pocket; and (c) a staple and pledget assembly (202; 302) coupled with the stapling head assembly, wherein the staple and pledget assembly (202; 302) comprises: (i) a staple having a pair of legs (68A, 68B) and a crown (200; 300), wherein the crown has a crown width and a crown length, wherein the pair of legs are disposed substantially perpendicular to the crown in a first position, wherein the pair of legs is operable to advance against the pocket in the anvil head to form a staple with bent legs, and (ii) a pledget (204; 304) including an upper surface (206; 306), a lower surface (208; 308) and a pair of channels (210A, 210B; 310A, 310B) disposed between upper surface (206; 306) and lower surface (208; 308), wherein the channels (210A, 210B; 310A, 310B) are sized and shaped to receive distal ends (220A, 220B; 320A, 320B) of the pair of legs (68A, 68B) of the staple prior to being advanced against the pocket in the anvil head, wherein the pledget (204; 304) includes a pair of end portions (212, 214; 312, 314) and an intermediate portion (216; 316) disposed between the pair of end portions (212, 214; 312, 314), wherein a width of the intermediate portion (216; 316) is greater than a width of each of the end portions (212, 214; 312, 314), and wherein the intermediate portion (216, 316) comprises at least one projection (319A, 319B); (i) a staple having a pair of legs (68A, 68B) and a crown (200; 300), wherein the crown has a crown width and a crown length, wherein the pair of legs are disposed substantially perpendicular to the crown in a first position, wherein the pair of legs is operable to advance against the pocket in the anvil head to form a staple with bent legs, and (ii) a pledget (204; 304) including an upper surface (206; 306), a lower surface (208; 308) and a pair of channels (210A, 210B; 310A, 310B) disposed between upper surface (206; 306) and lower surface (208; 308), wherein the channels (210A, 210B; 310A, 310B) are sized and shaped to receive distal ends (220A, 220B; 320A, 320B) of the pair of legs (68A, 68B) of the staple prior to being advanced against the pocket in the anvil head, wherein the pledget (204; 304) includes a pair of end portions (212, 214; 312, 314) and an intermediate portion (216; 316) disposed between the pair of end portions (212, 214; 312, 314), wherein a width of the intermediate portion (216; 316) is greater than a width of each of the end portions (212, 214; 312, 314), and wherein the intermediate portion (216, 316) comprises at least one projection (319A, 319B);