A surgical suturing instrument including a handle assembly, an elongate memberextending distally from the handle assembly and an end effector attached tothe distal end ofthe elongate member. The end effector may include a first jaw member movablerelative to asecond jaw member between an open position and an approximated position forgraspingtissue. Each of the jaw members define a knife slot, a first needle slot, anda second needleslot extending along a longitudinal axis of the end effector. The end effectoralso includes aknife assembly and an upper assembly pivotably coupled to an upper knifeflange of the knifeassembly. The upper assembly includes an upper bellcrank, a first needle, afirst suturepassing through a first aperture defined by the first needle, a second needleand a secondsuture passing through a second aperture defined by the second needle.
