Surgical stapler with plurality of cutting elements

A surgical stapling instrument comprising:

• (a) a shaft assembly;
• (b) an end effector at a distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the end effector includes:
• (i) a first jaw,
• (ii) a second jaw, wherein the first and second jaws are operable to clamp tissue therebetween, and
• (iii) a first cutting member operable to cut the clamped tissue;
• and
• (c) a cartridge insertable into one of the first jaw or the second jaw of the end effector, wherein the cartridge includes:
• (i) a deck surface,
• (ii) a plurality of staples disposed below the deck surface,
• (iii) a staple actuator, wherein the staple actuator is actuatable by the first cutting member to drive the staples into the clamped tissue, and
• (iv) a second cutting member coupled to the staple actuator and configured to translate together with the staple actuator along a common translation path, wherein the second cutting member extends above the deck surface while translating along the common translation path, and wherein the second cutting member is translatable relative to the staple actuator between a retracted position and an extended position.

A surgical stapling instrument comprising:

• (a) an end effector comprising a cutting member operable to cut clamped tissue;
• and
• (b) a cartridge comprising:
• (i) a cartridge body extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein the cartridge body has a deck surface;
• (ii) a plurality of staples housed within the cartridge body below the deck surface;
• (iii) a staple actuator slidably coupled with the cartridge body, wherein the staple actuator is translatable distally through the cartridge body along the longitudinal axis to drive the staples into tissue captured by the surgical stapling instrument;
• and
• (iv) a cutting element coupled to the staple actuator and configured to translate distally with the staple actuator along a translation path parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the cutting element extends above the deck surface while translating distally along the translation path, and wherein the cutting element is translatable relative to the staple actuator between a retracted position and an extended position.