Division of Surgical Critical Care

We are leaders in the care of critically ill patients, recognized nationally for our treatment standards.
Beth Phelan, RN comforting a pre surgery patient in stretcher in hallway in Lowell General Hospital's Heart and Vascular department.
Providing expert care

The Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at Tufts Medical Center (Tufts MC) in Boston is a nationally recognized 10-bed, quaternary care ICU. We provide state-of-the-art post-surgical care for patients being treated for conditions ranging from liver transplantation to high-risk obstetrics. With approximately 950 admissions annually, the SICU is staffed by a senior and experienced nursing staff and has in-unit 24-hour coverage by a physician team.

We're top performers 

Tufts MC's SICU is the only ICU in Boston voluntarily participating in a national database, called Project Impact, founded in 1997. It allows tracking of patient outcomes and comparisons with intensive care units across North America. 

We are proud to report that Tufts MC's SICU has always outperformed comparative ICUs nationally in the following areas:

  • Documented superior survival from critical illness
  • Documented decreased time spent in the ICU
  • Documented decrease in complications and in-hospital acquired infections

Contact info

Department research

Research + Clinical Trials

Based on the latest scientific evidence, Tufts MC's SICU has developed many protocols for standardizing care of the critically ill and injured, which help reduce medical errors and improve survival from life-threatening illnesses. Our protocols have been disseminated nationally, are used in other medical centers and are recognized nationwide.

Our current research includes completing a study focused on decreasing the incidence of infection and bacteremia in our critically ill patients due to Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a source of hospital-acquired infection. The findings were published in the Journal of Critical Care Medicine:

Traa MX, Barboza L, Doron S, Snydman D, Nasraway SA.  Defying methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and eliminating bacteremia in a surgical ICU without active surveillance. Crit Care Med 2014; 42:2151-2157.

We also have two important ongoing clinical trials:

  1. Utility of Presepsin in Distinguishing between Sepsis and SIRS (Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome): an exploratory, prospective observational study in critically ill patients. Sponsored by Mochida Pharmaceuticals.
  2. Manual vs. automated monitoring accuracy of glucose IDE (MANAGE IDE). Optiscan Biomedical Corporation sponsors it.

Our leadership

Our leadership team gives us the guidance and support we need to ensure that the clinical, research and training goals of the department are met.
Cardiologist Omar Ali, MD, FACC performing a surgery on a heart and vascular patient in Lowell General Hospital's Cath Lab with the help of a nurse.
Our locations

From regular office visits to inpatient stays, our specialists across Tufts Medicine offer the best in healthcare, when and where our patients need it.
Cynthia McAndrew, RN is prepping cardiac cath lab patient before surgery with assistance from another nurse.
Our doctors + care team

Our specialists and care team members across Tufts Medicine deliver unmatched healthcare with a personalized touch.