Surgeon Spotlight: Dr. Laila Rashidi

In our new Surgeon Spotlight series, we’ll be exploring the world of surgery through the eyes of some of the most skilled and knowledgeable physicians in the world.

We’ll share their experiences, insights, and expertise in the field of robotic-assisted surgery—delve into to the origins of their medical career, hear about their career highlights, and get their thoughts on the wider impact of robotic surgery in the medical industry.

Today, we're excited to share our conversation with Dr. Laila Rashida.

Meet Dr. Laila Rashidi

• Medical Director for Colon and Rectal Surgery — MultiCare Health System Washington, United States
• Assistant Professor, Colon and Rectal Surgery — Washington State University Washington, United States

Dr. Laila Rashidi grew up in Iran and first fell in love with surgery while studying medicine at Ross University on the beautiful island of Dominica. By her second year of medical school, she knew she wanted to specialize in colorectal surgery.

Her first experience with da Vinci surgery came in her final year of residency when she assisted a colleague in several minimally invasive robotic cases. Since then, she’s gone on to head a robotic colorectal case observation training center and teaches faculty for the Association of Program Directors for Colon and Rectal Surgery (APDCRS) and Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) fellow courses. We interviewed Dr. Rashidi as part of our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, to hear how she uses evidence to demonstrate the value of her robotics program.

How can we help more hospitals expand access to minimally invasive care?

“After introducing a da Vinci system to my hospital, my leadership quickly recognized its impact. I consistently share data with them, reinforcing the value, and as a result, we’ve expanded the system placements. Our program is now open for observation, allowing others to witness the success of our robotic program.”

How do you communicate the benefits of robotic surgery to your patients and colleagues?

“My theory is if you ever want to say something is better than the other, you always have to back it up. That’s why I utilize evidence because you must have your data to support the message. Whenever I meet referring physicians or talk to my patients, I always have data to support why I’m doing what I’m doing.”

What comes to mind when you think about sustainability in your practice?

“You don’t use as many materials in a robotic case, and at our hospital we don’t need as much staff for robotic cases. Our care teams are trained on surgeon preferences in the OR—knowing what materials to open and what to leave in the packaging. We don’t use more than what is needed. And ultimately, we get patients back to their lives quickly.”