A surgical apparatus may include a staple holder, an anvil connected to and movable relative to the staple holder, and at least one axle extending outward from the anvil and an overtube slidable relative to the end effector, the overtube including at least one slot defined therein where each slot receives a corresponding axle. A surgical method for treating tissue of a patient may include providing an end effector that includes a staple holder and an anvil connected to and movable relative to the staple holder, and an overtube slidable relative to said end effector, making an incision in the patient inserting the end effector and at least part of the overtube through the incision in a first, insertion configuration in which substantially no gap exists between the anvil and staple holder, and moving the overtube relative to the end effector to open the end effector to a second, unclamped position where at least part of the anvil is spaced apart from the staple holder.
