Dr. Andrea Pakula

06/14/2026

06/14/2026

Every year, the Women in daVinci Surgery meeting surpasses the last — and this year was no exception.

Nearly 200 women, leaders in surgery and hospital executive roles, came together to learn, grow, and push each other forward. I was honored to present again this year and share the stage with some of my incredible colleagues and friends.

We tackled conversations that matter: growing as leaders, leveraging vulnerability as a strength, knowing when to say Yes and when to say No, putting yourself out there, and always keeping our patients at the center of everything we do.

None of this happens without an incredible team behind it. Thank you to the Intuitive team who bring this meeting to life year after year. The waitlist alone speaks to how vital this gathering has become.

From early morning workouts to full days of powerful sessions — reconnecting with old friends and building new connections — this meeting fills me up in every way.

I’m heading home energized, inspired, and already counting down to next year.

Thank you to Intuitive for the continued investment in this community. It means more than words can say.

Adventist Health Dr. Andrea Pakula, MD Sharona Ross Carey Warren Jennifer Francis Quanita Crable MD OBGYN Monique Hassan, MD, MBA, FACS, FASMBS

05/23/2026

I had such an amazing time visiting multiple hospitals across Europe and helping to expand da vinci robotic surgery for the emergency surgery patients. It is so important to be able to offer equitable care for all patients and as we continue to grow this in the US it is great to see the hospitals in Denmark, Stockholm and Germany striving to do the same.

I had the honor to proctor surgeons at different hospitals and discuss the vast applications of robotics for acute care patients. Congrats to Dr. Michael Leitz for being able to successfully take care of an elderly patient with incarcerated femoral and spigelian hernias that would have otherwise been approached with open surgery.
Da Vinci surgery is truly transforming care for all patients and I am excited to be a part of it.
A special thanks to the European Intuitive team.

Adventist Health

05/20/2026

It was a true honor to join my European colleagues at the Intuitive 2026 Hernia and Colorectal Connect European conference in Copenhagen. Events like this are a wonderful reminder of how much we gain from one another — both in the affirmation of shared ideas and in the fresh perspectives that come from across the continent.

What strikes me most is the unwavering commitment we all share to delivering the highest quality care for our patients. The program was exceptional, with outstanding presentations covering hernia and abdominal wall reconstruction, colorectal surgery, and the clinical advantages of the da Vinci 5 and SP systems.

Beyond the science, it was a genuine pleasure to reconnect with old friends and welcome new ones. A heartfelt thank you to the organizing team for putting together such a remarkable event — I’m already looking forward to the next one.

04/25/2026

Just getting back from another highly productive Intuitive Surgical Advisory Board meeting where we focused on how we can scale technology with daVinci 5 across our health systems to reduce variability and deliver consistently high-quality care for our patients.

I truly come back energized, excited and ready to expand our abilities to teach, collaborate and innovate. There are so many exciting things on the horizon and I am so honored to be a part of it.

I am grateful to partner with an organization aligned with what matters most to surgeons—safe, reproducible outcomes. David Hitesman, Julie Crawford Smith and Marcus Bland thank you for putting on yet another fantastic meeting. This is how we drive meaningful transformation in our field.

04/25/2026

I am deeply honored to have contributed a chapter to Women in Surgery: Navigating Challenges and Triumphs — and it’s hot off the press! 🎉📖

This book brings together the voices of female leaders in surgery, sharing their authentic experiences across training, leadership, practice, and work-life balance.

Building a successful career in a field that has been historically male dominated takes a village. Thanks to my tribe .laila and many others, happy to be navigating it with all of you.

Thank you to Drs. Kahyun Yoon-Flannery, Asanthi Ratnasekera and Maureen Moore for the opportunity to be part of something so meaningful.
To every woman navigating the surgical field, this book is for you.

04/22/2026

One of the hottest topics in general surgery right now is the evolution of acute care surgery with the da Vinci platform—and how dV5 is expanding access and capability for so many surgeons.

I had the privilege of serving as faculty again this year at the 10th Annual Intuitive CONNECT2026 meeting, with more than 1,200 surgeons from across the country in attendance. Through a shared vision and strong partnership with Intuitive, we are continuing to transform patient care by driving innovation and meaningful collaboration.

I was honored to present on robotic inguinal hernia repair as well as emergency small bowel techniques. A major focus of discussion was how dv5 Telepresence technology is enabling real-time collaboration between surgeons—bringing a new dimension to how we learn from and support one another.

Beyond the science and innovation, this meeting always offers the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and build new relationships. This year was especially meaningful, as my parents were in the audience and got
to see my passion firsthand.

03/30/2026

Another great year at SAGES2026. This year’s theme, “Connect to Purpose,” truly reflected the momentum we’re seeing in the expansion of innovation and the integration of robotic surgery, AI, telepresence and digital surgery.
The meeting kicked off with a full day of committee sessions spanning robotics, telepresence, and multiple surgical specialties—highlighting how, as a field, we are collectively shaping what AI and telemedicine will mean for the future of surgery.
I was especially honored to co-chair the Robotic Complex Abdominal Wall Reconstruction course and to contribute to several hernia sessions. It was also great to reconnect with the WIDVS group and continue important discussions around the evolving Intuitive da Vinci 5 technology.

Meetings like this are what move our field forward—driven by collaboration, innovation, and shared purpose. And, of course, the best part is always the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and build new relationships along the way.

03/27/2026

It was such a great day chairing the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) Adopt Robotic TAR course at Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) . Thanks to my co-chair, Matthew Goldblatt and the amazing faculty who dedicated their time and expertise to put on a very educational and invaluable course for the surgeons who attended. Thank you to the Industry partners for their support and Erin Schwarz for organizing.

03/06/2026

One of the best hernia meetings of the year—the 16th Annual Hernia Surgery Summit. Thanks to for the invitation to join the faculty again this year. 
I had the honor of speaking about the importance of surgical ergonomics and discussing approaches to managing hernias in the emergency setting. So many great topics around hernia surgery as we continue to evolve the field to provide better care for our patients.
It is always so great reconnecting with friends and colleagues from around the world—one of the best parts of meetings like this.
Perhaps the most inspiring part was seeing the next generation of surgeons stepping into the world of da Vinci surgery—the future of innovation and patient care starting early.