An surgical stapling device (100, 300) for use by a surgeon to staple an anatomical structure of a patient during a minimally invasive procedure, the anatomical structure having a first side and a second side, the surgical stapling device comprising: an end effector (600, 700, 900, 1000) having an anvil ( 604, 702, 902, 1002) that includes a first end (702b, 902b, 1002b), a second end (702a, 902a), and a face (192, 632, 706) that is positionable on the first side of the anatomical structure; the end effector further having a cartridge (606, 704, 904, 1004) that is configured to house a plurality of staples and that includes a first end (704b, 904b, 1004b), a second end (704a, 904a, 1004a), and a face (194, 618, 708) that is positionable on the second side of the anatomical structure; a flexible member (46, 912) that movably couples the first end of the anvil to the first end of the cartridge, wherein the second end of the anvil is movably coupled to the second end of the cartridge at the distal end of the surgical stapling device with a hinge (602, 730, 908, 1006), each of the anvil and the cartridge is insertable through a trocar and the end effector is remotely operable from outside the patient with at least a portion of one of the anvil and the cartridge being movable toward the other to clamp the end effector to the anatomical structure; and a shaft (38, 104, 304, 910) attached to one of the anvil and the cartridge at a distal end of the shaft and attached to a manipulator (102,302)on the proximal end of the shaft that manipulates the end effector, wherein the manipulator includes a clamping mechanism (122, 320) for selectively moving the anvil and the cartridge toward one another to clamp the anatomical structure, wherein the flexible member extends through the shaft to the end effector and to the clamping mechanism such that operating the clamping mechanism withdraws the flexible member from the end effector and clamps the anatomical structure between the anvil and the cartridge. an end effector (600, 700, 900, 1000) having an anvil ( 604, 702, 902, 1002) that includes a first end (702b, 902b, 1002b), a second end (702a, 902a), and a face (192, 632, 706) that is positionable on the first side of the anatomical structure; the end effector further having a cartridge (606, 704, 904, 1004) that is configured to house a plurality of staples and that includes a first end (704b, 904b, 1004b), a second end (704a, 904a, 1004a), and a face (194, 618, 708) that is positionable on the second side of the anatomical structure; a flexible member (46, 912) that movably couples the first end of the anvil to the first end of the cartridge, wherein the second end of the anvil is movably coupled to the second end of the cartridge at the distal end of the surgical stapling device with a hinge (602, 730, 908, 1006), each of the anvil and the cartridge is insertable through a trocar and the end effector is remotely operable from outside the patient with at least a portion of one of the anvil and the cartridge being movable toward the other to clamp the end effector to the anatomical structure; and a shaft (38, 104, 304, 910) attached to one of the anvil and the cartridge at a distal end of the shaft and attached to a manipulator (102,302)on the proximal end of the shaft that manipulates the end effector, wherein the manipulator includes a clamping mechanism (122, 320) for selectively moving the anvil and the cartridge toward one another to clamp the anatomical structure, wherein the flexible member extends through the shaft to the end effector and to the clamping mechanism such that operating the clamping mechanism withdraws the flexible member from the end effector and clamps the anatomical structure between the anvil and the cartridge.