BEVELED END EFFECTOR ASSEMBLY

An end effector assembly for a surgical instrument includes a pair of first and second jaw members movable between a spaced apart configuration and an approximated configuration for grasping tissue therebetween. The first jaw member includes a housing having a substantially flat inwardly facing surface and the second jaw member includes a housing having an electrosurgical cutter disposed along a center thereof and a pair of inwardly facing beveled surfaces extending away from the cutter. An electrically conductive sealing plate is disposed on the housing of the first jaw member. A pair of electrically conductive sealing plates is disposed on the housing of the second jaw member on either side of the electrosurgical cutter, wherein an angle between the substantially flat inwardly facing surface of the first jaw member and the bevel of one of the pair of inwardly facing beveled surfaces of the second jaw member is in the range of about 1 degree to about 20 degrees to encourage tissue sloughing away from the electrosurgical cutter after separation.