The Section of Trauma Acute Care Surgery (TACS) provides comprehensive, around-the-clock care for trauma, surgical critical care and emergency general surgery patients. Our team is comprised of twelve faculty members, each board certified by the American Board of Surgery in general surgery and surgical critical care.

What is Acute Care Surgery?

Acute Care Surgery takes the fundamentals of trauma care with its team-based approach and continuous quality improvement, and applies them to patients with urgent surgical conditions.

Patient Care

We provide around-the-clock intensive care unit management of patients with various critical illness including trauma, vascular disease and complicated obstetric and gynecologic, orthopedic, transplant and plastic surgical processes.

Rather than a single practitioner, patients are treated by a team of experienced surgeons, providing multidisciplinary care in both in-patient and out-patient settings. We work with surgeons throughout Inova’s surgical specialties to provide our expertise in critical care situations.

As Inova Fairfax Medical Campus is a teaching hospital, the Trauma Acute Care Surgery section works with the Inova General Surgical Residency program and Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine to help develop the future leaders in acute care surgery. Additionally, our Acute Care surgery faculty supports an interdisciplinary ACGME-accredited Surgical Critical Care Fellowship.

Our daily outpatient general surgery clinic is located close to Inova Fairfax Medical Campus. Here, we see patients for their follow-up appointments and welcome new patients who require surgical consultation.

Research and Affiliations

Trauma Acute Care Surgery participates in clinical research and multi-institutional trials in an ongoing effort to improve patient outcomes both regionally and nationally. Our surgeons participate as committee members of national organizations including the American College of Surgeons, American Trauma Society, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma and the Society of Critical Care Medicine.

Our Team

Division and System Chief, Trauma and Acute Care Surgery

Paula Ferrada, MD
Paula A. Ferrada, MD
Specialty
Surgical Critical Care, Surgery
Years of Experience
23

Trauma Medical Director – Fairfax

Stephen Varga, MD
Stephen E. Varga, MD
Specialty
Surgery, Surgical Critical Care
Years of Experience
18

Inova Trauma Acute Care Surgery Team - Fairfax

David P. Blake, MD
David P. Blake, MD
Specialty
Surgery, Surgical Critical Care
Years of Experience
34
Elizabeth Franco Cadavid, MD
Elizabeth Franco, MD
Specialty
Surgery, Surgical Critical Care
Clinical Interests
Colorectal Surgery, Gallbladder Surgery, Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer, Hernia Problems/Surgery and Treatments, Minimally Invasive Surgery
Years of Experience
30
George Kasotakis, MD
George Kasotakis, MD
Specialty
Surgical Critical Care, Surgery
Years of Experience
24
Stefan Leichtle, MD
Stefan W. Leichtle, MD
Specialty
Surgical Critical Care, Surgery
Years of Experience
16
Edmond Ng, MD
Edmond K. Ng, MD
Specialty
Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine
Clinical Interests
Gallbladder Surgery, Hernia Problems/Surgery and Treatments, Stomach Disorders and Treatment
Years of Experience
28
Jennifer Schwartz, MD
Jennifer A. Schwartz, MD
Specialty
Surgical Critical Care, Surgery
Years of Experience
16
Hani Seoudi, MD
Hani M. Seoudi, MD
Specialty
Surgical Critical Care, Surgery
Years of Experience
40
Dina Tabello, DO
Dina Tabello, DO
Specialty
Surgery, Surgical Critical Care
Years of Experience
12
Erik Teicher, MD
Erik J. Teicher, MD
Specialty
Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, Neurocritical Care
Clinical Interests
Gallbladder Surgery, Hernia Problems/Surgery and Treatments, Stomach Disorders and Treatment
Years of Experience
20
Abdullah Wafa, MD
Abdullah Wafa, MD
Specialty
Surgical Critical Care, Surgery
Years of Experience
10
Mohamad Zanbrakji, MD
Mohamad Zanbrakji, MD
Specialty
Surgical Critical Care, Surgery
Years of Experience
12
Lauren Benz, NP
Lauren M. Benz, NP
Specialty
Nurse Practitioner
Cara Caputy, FNP
Cara V. Caputy, FNP
Specialty
Family Nurse Practitioner
Sun Cho, NP
Sun M. Cho, NP
Specialty
Nurse Practitioner
Ellen Cordova, PA
Ellen Cordova, PA
Specialty
Physician Assistant
Adam DeMey, PA
Adam DeMey, PA
Specialty
Physician Assistant
Wayne Johnson, PA
Wayne M. Johnson, PA
Specialty
Physician Assistant
Lindsey Knight, FNP
Lindsey M. Knight, FNP
Specialty
Family Nurse Practitioner
Jonathan Messing, NP
Jonathan A. Messing, NP
Specialty
Nurse Practitioner
Melanie Morell, FNP
Melanie S. Morell, FNP
Specialty
Family Nurse Practitioner
Jennifer Sherman, NP
Jennifer Z. Sherman, NP
Specialty
Nurse Practitioner