A surgical instrument comprising: (a) a body; (b) a shaft assembly extending distally from the body; (c) a stapling head assembly located at the distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the stapling head assembly comprises a distal surface, wherein the stapling head assembly is operable to drive an annular array of staples through the distal surface; (d) an anvil, wherein the anvil is configured to couple with the stapling head assembly; (e) an anvil adjustment assembly, wherein the anvil adjustment assembly comprises a translating member, wherein the translating member is operable to translate relative to the body along a longitudinal axis to thereby adjust a gap distance between the anvil and the distal surface of the stapling head assembly; and (f) a first indicator assembly, wherein the first indicator assembly comprises: (i) a first member, wherein the first member is configured to translate in response to translation of the translating member relative to the body, characterised in that the first member comprises an array of markers, and in that the instrument comprises (ii) a second member, wherein the second member is configured to remain stationary relative to the body as the first member translates relative to the body, wherein the first indicator assembly is operable to count a number of markers successively translating past the second member; wherein the first indicator assembly is configured to provide feedback indicating whether the gap distance is sized to release tissue from between the anvil and the distal surface based on the number of markers counted as translating past the second member. (a) a body; (b) a shaft assembly extending distally from the body; (c) a stapling head assembly located at the distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the stapling head assembly comprises a distal surface, wherein the stapling head assembly is operable to drive an annular array of staples through the distal surface; (d) an anvil, wherein the anvil is configured to couple with the stapling head assembly; (e) an anvil adjustment assembly, wherein the anvil adjustment assembly comprises a translating member, wherein the translating member is operable to translate relative to the body along a longitudinal axis to thereby adjust a gap distance between the anvil and the distal surface of the stapling head assembly; and (f) a first indicator assembly, wherein the first indicator assembly comprises: (i) a first member, wherein the first member is configured to translate in response to translation of the translating member relative to the body, characterised in that the first member comprises an array of markers, and in that the instrument comprises (ii) a second member, wherein the second member is configured to remain stationary relative to the body as the first member translates relative to the body, wherein the first indicator assembly is operable to count a number of markers successively translating past the second member; wherein the first indicator assembly is configured to provide feedback indicating whether the gap distance is sized to release tissue from between the anvil and the distal surface based on the number of markers counted as translating past the second member. (i) a first member, wherein the first member is configured to translate in response to translation of the translating member relative to the body, characterised in that the first member comprises an array of markers, and in that the instrument comprises (ii) a second member, wherein the second member is configured to remain stationary relative to the body as the first member translates relative to the body, wherein the first indicator assembly is operable to count a number of markers successively translating past the second member; wherein the first indicator assembly is configured to provide feedback indicating whether the gap distance is sized to release tissue from between the anvil and the distal surface based on the number of markers counted as translating past the second member.