No, you only have to use one stapler handle as long as you do not complete more than 25 firings in the procedure. The complete Endo GIA™ tissue management system has forward and backward compatibility. This means that the Endo GIA™ universal and Endo GIA™ ultra universal staplers are compatible with both Endo GIA™ universal gray, white, blue, and green reloads as well as gray, tan, purple, and black reloads with Tri-Staple™ technology.

The Endo GIA™ ultra universal stapler incorporates a grasping mechanism, which means that it may be used as a grasper when it is set to the grasp mode. The stapler is in grasp mode when the jaws of a pre-loaded reload are open. In this mode, tissue can be atraumatically grasped within the reload jaws by squeezing the loop handle to close the jaws.

To un-grasp the tissue, simply push the loop handle forward to open the reload jaws. The grasp mode is released by squeezing the loop handle all the way back, holding it in the squeezed position and pushing the green ready-to-fire button down. The stapler is now ready to be fired.

If the stapler has to be repositioned on tissue after the grasp mode has been released, the jaws have to be opened by pulling the black return knobs completely back.