Surgical instruments and methods of manufacturing surgical instruments for performing tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and other surgical procedures

A surgical instrument, comprising:

• a housing;
• a shaft extending distally from the housing;
• an end effector assembly disposed at a distal end of the shaft;
• a knife assembly extending through the housing, the shaft, and into the end effector assembly, the knife assembly including a knife blade movable relative to the end effector assembly between a retracted position and an extended position;
• a movable handle operably coupled to the housing and movable relative thereto between an initial position and a compressed position;
• a drive assembly operably coupled to the movable handle and the end effector assembly such that movement of the movable handle from the initial position to the compressed position moves the drive assembly to thereby manipulate the end effector assembly, the drive assembly including a proximal housing configured to translate longitudinally with the drive assembly;
• and
• a trigger assembly operably coupled to the knife assembly to enable selective translation of the knife blade relative to the end effector assembly, the trigger assembly including:
• a trigger operably coupled to the housing and movable relative thereto between an un-actuated position and an actuated position;
• and
• a linkage including a linkage body having a first end portion operably coupled to the trigger, a second end portion operably coupled to the knife assembly, and a central portion disposed between the first and second end portions, the linkage including a protruding lockout peg extending transversely from the central portion,
• wherein, when the movable handle is in the initial position, the proximal housing is disposed in a movement path of the lockout peg thereby inhibiting movement of the trigger from the un-actuated position to the actuated position and wherein, when the movable handle is moved to the compressed position, the proximal housing is moved out of the movement path of the lockout peg.