Patent ID: 7922061

Claim:
A method of performing a medical procedure on a patient, the method comprising: (a) inserting an articulatable end effector of a surgical cutting and fastening instrument into the patient through a cannula, wherein the end effector is in a first articulation state when the end effector is inserted through the cannula; (b) after step (a), manually articulating the end effector to a second articulation state that is different from the first articulation state; (c) after step (b), firing the surgical cutting and fastening instrument to sever and fasten tissue clamped in the end effector; (d) after step (c), activating an input device on the surgical cutting and fastening instrument to cause the end effector to automatically articulate to the first articulation state; (e) after step (d), withdrawing the end effector from the patient through the cannula; (f) after step (e), replacing a staple cartridge on the end effector with a second staple cartridge; (g) after step (f), inserting the articulatable end effector of the surgical cutting and fastening instrument into the patient through the cannula, wherein the end effector is in a first articulation state when the end effector is inserted through the cannula; (h) after step (g), activating the input device on the surgical cutting and fastening instrument to cause the end effector to automatically articulate to the second articulation state; (i) after step (h), firing the surgical cutting and fastening instrument to sever and fasten tissue clamped in the end effector; (j) after step (i), activating the input device to cause the end effector to automatically articulate to the first articulation state; and (k) after step (j), withdrawing the end effector from the patient through the cannula.