Paula Ferrada, MD FACS

Dr. Paula Ferrada, MD, FACS, FCCM, MAMSE is a Colombian-born surgeon-leader and internationally recognized trauma and acute acre surgeon. She serves as the Chair of the Department of Surgery at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, Division and System Chief for Acute Care Surgery and Trauma, and Medical Director of Perioperative Services for Inova Health System. She is also a Professor of Medical Education at the University of Virginia. Dr. Ferrada trained in general surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Harvard system), followed by surgical critical care and acute care surgery fellowships at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. She later became a Full Professor of Surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where she held multiple leadership roles, including Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Director. A distinguished educator, she has developed ultrasound training programs for the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the Panamerican Trauma Society, receiving multiple teaching awards, including the Irby James Teaching Award and Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award. She was inducted into the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators in 2021. Within the ACS, she has served as Chair of the Young Fellows Association, Vice Chair of Credentialing and Certification for the National Ultrasound Faculty, President of the Virginia Chapter, and ACS Board of Governors representative for Virginia. Internationally, she was President of the Panamerican Trauma Society, where she established mentorship and scholarship programs and led the first multicenter trial for the society. Dr. Ferrada has over 130 peer-reviewed publications, serves as Associate Editor for the American Journal of Surgery, and sits on multiple editorial boards. She has secured funding from the Department of Defense and FDA, led multicenter trials, and contributed to clinical guidelines in acute care surgery.

Critical Care

Abdomen and Digestion Disorder/Procedure

• abdominal pain
• adhesion removal
• appendectomy
• esophagus perforation
• feeding tubes
• malrotation
• peptic ulcer disease
• peritonitis
• splenectomy

Hernia Procedures

• abdominal hernia
• component separation
• epigastric hernia
• femoral hernia
• inguinal hernia
• laparoscopic hernia repair
• paraesophageal hernia
• umbilical hernia
• ventral hernia

Diagnostic Imaging/procedures

Minimally Invasive Procedures

• endoscopic surgery
• video assisted thoracic surgery

Trauma/Injury Procedures

• abdominal injuries
• abdominal wall reconstruction
• amputation
• bladder injury
• blunt trauma
• bronchoscopy
• burns
• cardiac injury
• chest injuries
• cricothyroidotomy
• extremity injury
• finger injuries
• foot/leg injury
• hand/arm injury
• intestine injuries
• kidney injury
• liver injury
• liver resection
• lung resections
• neck injuries
• skin grafting
• spine trauma
• stomach injuries
• thyroidectomy
• tracheotomy
• vascular injuries
• wound debridement

Virginia Commonwealth University Health System

Richmond, VA

Trauma/Acute Care Surgeon

08/2010—06/2021

Inova Health System

fairfax,

Trauma/Acute Care Surgeon

09/2021—Present

University of Virginia School of Medicine

Charlottesville, VA

Professor

09/2021—Present