A hand held and flexible drive shaft powered apparatus is provided for movement along an incision made in flesh or other material and to be sewn closed. The apparatus includes a pair of opposite side drive wheels which are driven from the aforementioned flexible shaft and engage the flesh or other material on opposite sides of the incision therein. The apparatus is driven in a forward direction by the drive wheels along the incision and the forward portion of the apparatus includes a stitching mechanism including an arcuate reciprocally driven needle as well as an oscillatably supported and driven looper whereby a blind suturing operation may be accomplished to close the incision as the apparatus is driven along the incision by the drive wheels.
