Anna R. Spivak, DO, FACS, FASCRS

Scott R. Steele, MD, MBA, FACS, FASCRS, FPSCRS (Hon.)

Dr. Anna R. Spivak is the Section Chief of Pelvic Floor Surgery within the Department of Colorectal Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH. Anna was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and moved with her family to the United States—being raised in New York City, NY. She received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance at Yeshiva University, Sy Syms School of Business in New York. Anna initially pursued a career in accounting and finance, working for Deloitte & Touche LLP. Along the way, she chose to change gears, initially achieving a Post Baccalaureate Premedical Program at CUNY, City College in New York. She then went on to medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. She completed her General Surgery Residency training at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, PA. She performed her Colon and Rectal Surgery Residency training at Allegheny Health Network, in Pittsburgh/Erie, PA. Anna then worked for Penn Medicine at Chester County Hospital in West Chester, PA. Ultimately, we were lucky enough to recruit her here to Ohio in 2022, joining us as the head of Pelvic Floor Surgery at CCF.

Anna has an extensive history of treating pelvic floor disease and robotic surgery. She has served on the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons' Steering Committee on Pelvic Floor Disorders since 2020 and has published multiple peer-reviewed manuscripts on various topics within the pelvic floor arena. Also, she is a member of the ASCRS Pelvic Floor Consortium and the International Urogynecological Association, working on multiple national and international guidelines within the pelvic floor. She also serves as a reviewer for Diseases of the Colon and Rectum. Despite this, she maintains an extremely busy clinical schedule along with teaching medical students, residents, fellows, and advanced care practitioners. She is incredibly skilled at practice management, utilizing her background in finance to its fullest with the development and incorporation of efficiencies, care pathways, and multidisciplinary programs. She enjoys solving complex problems, and the multidisciplinary collaboration within her practice at CCF.

When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, cooking, baking, skiing, and traveling. She and her husband, Vitali, have three daughters (Debbie, Rebecca, and Sariela). Of note, Rebecca is a coauthor of the History of Rectal Prolapse manuscript in this volume and a current medical student at Drexel University. On a personal note, it is fantastic to work alongside a professional with the highest work ethic, integrity, and incredible technical skills. On behalf of the readers and staff of Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery, I want to sincerely thank Dr. Spivak for serving as a Guest Editor and for providing us with an incredible issue on pelvic floor disorders.

Publication History

Article published online:
17 February 2025