A surgical stapling device comprising: a housing; an elongated portion extending distally from the housing; an end effector, at least a portion of the end effector being disposed in mechanical cooperation with a distal portion of the elongated portion; a movable handle disposed in mechanical cooperation with the housing, the movable handle being movable between a first open position and a second approximated position for affecting function of the end effector; and a ratchet mechanism disposed in mechanical cooperation with the movable handle, the ratchet mechanism configured to substantially prevent the movable handle from moving towards its first open position until the movable handle reaches a predetermined position, the ratchet mechanism including: a rack having rack teeth and a cam surface, the rack being disposed in mechanical cooperation with the housing; a pawl having pawl teeth and being disposed in mechanical cooperation with the movable handle, the rack teeth and the pawl teeth being configured for engagement with each other; and a spring disposed in mechanical cooperation with movable handle and being configured to bias at least one of the pawl and the rack towards the other such that the pawl teeth and the rack teeth are in engagement with one another, characterised in that the cam surface is configured to disengage the pawl teeth and the rack teeth upon the cam surface contacting the pawl for facilitating movement of the movable handle towards its first open position, and in that the surgical stapling device further includes a clip disposed in mechanical cooperation with the ratchet mechanism, the clip configured to releasably maintain the pawl teeth and the rack teeth in a disengaged position. a housing; an elongated portion extending distally from the housing; an end effector, at least a portion of the end effector being disposed in mechanical cooperation with a distal portion of the elongated portion; a movable handle disposed in mechanical cooperation with the housing, the movable handle being movable between a first open position and a second approximated position for affecting function of the end effector; and a ratchet mechanism disposed in mechanical cooperation with the movable handle, the ratchet mechanism configured to substantially prevent the movable handle from moving towards its first open position until the movable handle reaches a predetermined position, the ratchet mechanism including: a rack having rack teeth and a cam surface, the rack being disposed in mechanical cooperation with the housing; a pawl having pawl teeth and being disposed in mechanical cooperation with the movable handle, the rack teeth and the pawl teeth being configured for engagement with each other; and a spring disposed in mechanical cooperation with movable handle and being configured to bias at least one of the pawl and the rack towards the other such that the pawl teeth and the rack teeth are in engagement with one another, characterised in that the cam surface is configured to disengage the pawl teeth and the rack teeth upon the cam surface contacting the pawl for facilitating movement of the movable handle towards its first open position, and in that the surgical stapling device further includes a clip disposed in mechanical cooperation with the ratchet mechanism, the clip configured to releasably maintain the pawl teeth and the rack teeth in a disengaged position. a rack having rack teeth and a cam surface, the rack being disposed in mechanical cooperation with the housing; a pawl having pawl teeth and being disposed in mechanical cooperation with the movable handle, the rack teeth and the pawl teeth being configured for engagement with each other; and a spring disposed in mechanical cooperation with movable handle and being configured to bias at least one of the pawl and the rack towards the other such that the pawl teeth and the rack teeth are in engagement with one another, characterised in that the cam surface is configured to disengage the pawl teeth and the rack teeth upon the cam surface contacting the pawl for facilitating movement of the movable handle towards its first open position, and in that the surgical stapling device further includes a clip disposed in mechanical cooperation with the ratchet mechanism, the clip configured to releasably maintain the pawl teeth and the rack teeth in a disengaged position.