A surgical stapler (10) is provided having a cartridge arm (24) for holding staples, an anvil (22) pivotally connected thereto to deform fired staples from the cartridge arm, and a support (30) for substantially preventing anvil deflection during staple firing to help insure proper staple formation. Some supports allow pivoting between the anvil and cartridge arm when in a first position, but prevent or hinder the pivoting action when in a second position. Supports can also be adapted to contact the anvil at a distal position relative to the pivot point between the anvil and cartridge arm. Exemplary structures of supports embodied as one or more links or as a sleeve are described. Methods of use are also discussed.
