About Us

The Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care provides around-the-clock care for trauma and emergency surgery patients.

The Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care (TESSCC) at Massachusetts General Hospital offers general emergency surgery for all types of traumatic and non-traumatic injuries.

George Velmahos, MD, chief of the TESSCC, coordinates the division’s Trauma Program, Emergency Surgery Program and Surgical Critical Care Program as well as the Mass General Trauma Center, a major referral center in New England for patients of all ages. The Mass General Trauma Center is verified as a Level 1 Adult Trauma Center and Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons.

From the Emergency Department to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit

Trauma

The Mass General Trauma Center treats patients with the most critical injuries. Each year we provide care to an average of 2,500 trauma patients.

The division works with Mass General Trauma Center specialists in many areas to deliver the full spectrum of expert care, including the:

• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
• Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Imaging
• Mass General for Children
• Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine
• Department of Emergency Medicine

Emergency Surgery

Each year, our division admits an average of 2,500 emergency surgery patients and performs more than 1,300 procedures on these patients. Our surgeons manage non-traumatic emergency surgery cases such as:

• Abdominal catastrophes
• Abdominal inflammation
• Bleeding
• Bowel obstruction of various causes
• Perforation of abdominal viscera
• Superficial and deep infections

Surgical Critical Care

Our surgeons staff the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) and are experienced intensivists with credentials in critical care. As a result, we seamlessly deliver critical care services, from the Emergency Department to the SICU. We collaborate with colleagues in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine , ensuring continuity of care and optimal management.

Leaders in Our Field

Our division is further distinguished by:

• Continuous coverage: Our team of surgeons offers 24-hours-a-day in-house coverage and is always available to handle any general surgical emergency
• Multidisciplinary approach: We work closely with Mass General Trauma Center specialists across a variety of disciplines, and our team includes trauma psychiatrists, rehabilitation physicians, injury prevention specialists, occupational and physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists
• Leading-edge facilities: Our Emergency Department features the latest technology for treating patients, including two new-generation helical CT scanners and one MRI machine. A new, state-of-the-art emergency room opened in 2011
• An eye toward the future: We are committed to discovering new methods of treating critically ill trauma and emergency patients through laboratory, outcomes and clinical research programs. In addition, we host an intense educational program and other opportunities to prepare the next generation of surgeons