Circular stapling system comprising an incisable tissue support

An end effector of a circular surgical stapling instrument, said end effector comprising:

• a staple cartridge, comprising:
• a cartridge body comprising an annular array of staple cavities;
• staples removably stored in said staple cavities;
• a firing drive configured to eject said staples from said staple cavities;
• and
• a cutting member, wherein said cutting member is circumscribed by said annular array of staple cavities;
• and
• an anvil, comprising:
• a tissue compression surface;
• forming surfaces configured to deform said staples;
• and
• a tissue block, wherein said anvil is movable toward said cartridge body to compress tissue between said cartridge body and said tissue block, and wherein said cutting member is configured to incise the tissue and said tissue block during a cutting stroke of said cutting member.

An anvil for use with a circular surgical stapling instrument comprising a cartridge body and a cutting member during a surgical technique, said anvil comprising:

• a frame;
• a shaft extending from said frame;
• a tissue compression surface;
• forming surfaces configured to deform staples ejected from the surgical stapling instrument during a step in the surgical technique;
• and
• a tissue block, wherein said anvil is movable toward the surgical stapling instrument to compress tissue between the cartridge body and said tissue block, wherein the tissue has formed staples therein from a previous step in the surgical technique, wherein the cutting member and said tissue block are co-operatively configured to incise the previously stapled tissue and said tissue block during a cutting stroke of the cutting member, and wherein said tissue block is configured to prevent the formed staples from creating more than localized yielding in said tissue block during the cutting stroke.