Patent ID: 8453910

Claim:
An annular surgical stapling instrument having a system for retaining buttress material comprising: a handle; an elongate member extending distally from the handle; an annular staple containing cartridge mounted adjacent a distal end of the elongate member, the staple containing cartridge defining staple pockets for retaining staples; an annular anvil releasably connectable to the annular staple containing cartridge, the anvil defining staple forming pockets for forming staples ejected from the annular staple containing cartridge; at least one buttress material having a central portion and a peripheral portion separated by a perforation line wherein the peripheral portion surrounds the entire central portion of the at least one buttress material; and at least one buttress retainer having a ring configuration defining an open center portion and being removably attached to at least one of the staple containing cartridge and the anvil, each buttress retainer lying outwardly of the staple pockets for selectively retaining the peripheral portion of the buttress material between the buttress retainer and a corresponding tissue contacting surface of one of the staple containing cartridge and the anvil to which the buttress retainer is attached, the peripheral portion being retained after the buttress material has separated at the perforation line, and the open center portion being sized to releasably retain the buttress material, wherein the buttress retainer does not overlie the staple pockets provided in either of the staple containing cartridge or the anvil.