An apparatus includes a body, a shaft assembly, a stapling head assembly, and an anvil. The stapling head assembly includes a deck member, a plurality of staples, and a driver. The deck member includes a deck surface, an outer annular array of staple openings formed through the deck surface, an inner annular array of staple openings formed through the deck surface, and a plurality of recesses formed in the deck surface. At least a portion of the recesses are positioned between at least some of the staple openings. The driver is operable to drive the staples through the staple openings. The anvil is operable to compress tissue against the deck surface.
