Dr. Andrea Pakula

11/14/2025

I had a wonderful time at the 2025 Finnish Operative Days in Helsinki. 🇫🇮 It was an honor to share our U.S. experience with da Vinci Emergency Colon Surgery and to discuss the “how and why” behind building an Acute Care Robotics program aimed at improving health equity.

I especially enjoyed meeting and learning from colleagues from Finland and Belgium. 🇫🇮🇧🇪🇺🇸
Despite being thousands of miles apart, we share the same mission: expanding access to minimally invasive care for all patients.

A heartfelt thank-you to the Intuitive Nordic team for another excellent trip and an inspiring meeting.

11/13/2025

A quick but successful trip to Geneva, Switzerland 🇨🇭 for the 48th International Hospital Federation World Congress. We had the opportunity to present our research on Intuitive Telepresence as well as have an interesting panel discussion with Gretchen Purcell Jackson and Kyle Tafuri on the Value of da Vinci surgery as it relates to improved patient outcomes and Sustainability.
Thank you to the European global access team.
I was able to enjoy some amazing swiss cuisine and catch one historic landmark while visiting.

11/11/2025

Thank you to all of our military veterans who have served and continue to serve our country. 🇺🇸🪖🎖️

11/09/2025

I am honored to have been invited as faculty for the inaugural Robotic Abdominal Wall Surgery Congress in Latin America, organized by my dear friend, This landmark meeting in Guadalajara brought together experts from around the world to review current hernia surgery techniques and explore the latest advances in robotic technology.

We finished off with an unforgettable evening at the beautiful Patrón Hacienda—filled with great food, music, and fun times spent with our hernia family.

11/05/2025

It was such a pleasure to host the team from Good Samaritan Hospital. They’re in the process of building their own robotic surgery program and joined us at Adventist Health Simi Valley for a full day of case observations both in person and utilizing Intuitive Telepresence. We were able to highlight efficiency and best practices. I feel truly honored to work alongside such a dedicated OR team—one that embraces innovation and new technology and shares openly with the common goal of delivering the best outcomes for patients everywhere.

10/07/2025

Wrapping up a great few days at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress in Chicago! Our session on Debates in Benign Biliary Disease drew a packed room, and I had the opportunity to present on Robotic Cholecystectomy. Always inspiring to reconnect with old friends, share ideas, and meet so many passionate surgeons pushing the field forward.

10/03/2025

It was such a pleasure to host the team from Good Samaritan Hospital yesterday. They’re in the process of building their own robotic surgery program and joined us at Simi Valley for a full day of case observations both in person and utilizing Telepresence. We were able to highlight efficiency and best practices. I feel truly honored to work alongside such a dedicated OR team—one that embraces innovation and new technology and shares openly with the common goal of delivering the best outcomes for patients everywhere.

09/21/2025

It’s both exciting and an honor to be a surgeon during this era of rapid technological and innovative growth. Over the past few days at the Intuitive Surgical Advisory Board, surgeon innovators and industry leaders came together to explore the future of AI, telecollaboration, and telesurgery—advancements that will help expand access and improve outcomes for patients.

A special thank you to Michael Stifelman, MD and the outstanding team at Hackensack Meridian for hosting and demonstrating how true collaboration between executives, OR leadership, and physicians can leverage the entire da Vinci ecosystem to maximize robotic surgery and deliver the best possible patient outcomes.

And of course it’s always great to spend time with good friends.

09/13/2025

I had the opportunity, from my OR in California, to join Dr. Jennifer Preston as she presented at the American Foregut Society in Dallas, TX. Using Intuitive Telepresence, I was able to showcase features of the da Vinci 5, including Force Feedback and the new force gauges.

To make it even more engaging, I demonstrated how Force Feedback can be used as a teaching tool. My OR tech’s 10-year-old son sat down at the console and learned how to handle the “esophagus” gently — with visual indicators showing the force applied at the instrument tip.

It’s exciting to see how these technological advances continue to enhance both learning and patient care.

09/07/2025

07/20/2025

Wrapping up an exciting and impactful week at the Society of Robotic Surgery Congress 2025 in Strasbourg, France! 🇫🇷
The meeting was filled with cutting-edge technology, insightful presentations on AI, various robotic platforms, and specialty-specific sessions—including Acute Care Surgery and Hernia Surgery.
A major highlight was the live telesurgery demonstrations, including Intuitive daVinci 5 showcasing the global reach and real-time capabilities of robotic surgery.
I was honored to close out the week serving as faculty for the Intuitive Hands-On Robotic Hernia Course—a great opportunity to collaborate, teach, and learn alongside some of the most innovative minds in the field.
It’s always inspiring to be surrounded by thought leaders, passionate colleagues, and great friends all in the beautiful setting of Strasbourg.