The invention provides a surgical suture apparatus for passing a double-ended surgical needle forwards and backwards. The surgical apparatus comprises a first jaw element and a second jaw element, and an operating device to operate a first holding device in the first jaw element and a second holding device in the second jaw element to alternately hold a first needle-end by the first holding device and a second needle-end by the second holding device. The first jaw element and second jaw element are movable with respect to each other between a take-over position and an open position. The operating device comprises a switch device movable between a first operating position, in which a needle is held by the first holding device, and a second operating position, in which the needle is held by the second holding device, and an activation device configured to move the switch device between the first operating position and the second operating position. The activation device comprises a spring and a release device, wherein the spring is configured to be pre-tensioned during movement of the first jaw element and second jaw element,from the open position to the take-over position,and where in the release device is configured to release, upon activation, the pre-tensioned spring to move the switch device between the first operating position and the second operating position.L'invention concerne un appareil de suture chirurgicale qui permet de faire passer une aiguille chirurgicale à double extrémité vers l'avant et vers l'arrière. L'appareil chirurgical comprend un premier élément de mâchoire et un second élément de mâchoire, et un dispositif d'actionnement pour actionner un premier dispositif de maintien dans le premier élément de mâchoire et un second dispositif de maintien dans le second élément de mâchoire afin de maintenir alternativement une première extrémité d'aiguille par le premier dispositif de maintien et une seconde extrémité d'aiguille par le second dispositif d
