Tissue stabilizing features for circular surgical stapler

A surgical instrument comprising:

• (a) a stapling assembly including:
• (i) a housing extending distally along a central axis,
• (ii) a deck member including a deck surface having an annular array of staple openings configured to receive a plurality of staples, and
• (iii) a knife member disposed within the housing, wherein a distal end of the knife member includes a cutting edge;
• and
• (b) an anvil configured to selectively couple with the stapling assembly to compress, staple, and cut tissue, wherein the anvil includes:
• (i) an anvil surface including a plurality of staple forming pockets configured to form the staples,
• (ii) an annular recess positioned radially inwardly of the anvil surface, and
• (iii) a breakable member positioned within the annular recess and having a proximal face, wherein the cutting edge of the knife member is configured to cut through the tissue and the proximal face when the surgical instrument is fired,
• wherein the proximal face includes a tissue gripping feature that extends toward the deck surface and is configured to stabilize the tissue in a radial direction of the anvil during firing.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• (a) a stapling assembly comprising:
• (i) a deck surface including a plurality of staple openings configured to receive a plurality of staples,
• (ii) a knife member having a distal end that defines a cutting edge, and
• (iii) an auxiliary tissue compression member positioned adjacent to the knife member and separately from the deck surface;
• and
• (b) an anvil operatively coupled with the stapling assembly, wherein the anvil comprises:
• (i) an anvil surface including a plurality of staple forming pockets, wherein the anvil surface is configured to align and cooperate with the deck surface to compress and staple tissue, and
• (ii) a washer positioned adjacent to the anvil surface, wherein the cutting edge of the knife member is configured to cut through the tissue and a proximal face of the washer when the surgical instrument is fired,
• wherein a distal end of the auxiliary tissue compression member is configured to compress tissue distally against at least one of the anvil surface or the proximal face of the washer and thereby stabilize and inhibit the tissue from translating across the washer and the anvil surface during firing.