An anastomosis instrument includes a headpiece shaft which can be inserted in an instrument shaft so as to be axially shiftable therein, a plate-like and/or anvil-like headpiece being axially shiftable on the distal end portion of the headpiece shaft and being supported via a cross pin between a processing position and a withdrawal position, the headpiece on the headpiece shaft being displaced or shifted from a first, proximally retracted latching position in which the headpiece shaft is coupled to the headpiece in a form-fitting manner to fix the headpiece in the processing position so that it is unable to pivot, to a second, distally advanced latching position in which the form fit is released in order to allow the headpiece to swivel to the withdrawal position.
