The first decade of life is pivotal for developing vision, especially for children with certain eye conditions. Without proper eye care early in life, some children can suffer permanent harm to their vision as the brain loses its ability to coordinate use of both eyes.
The Ophthalmology Department at Riley at IU Health offers comprehensive care and early detection for children with all types of eye conditions and visual impairments, from sight problems that are easily treated with glasses, to complex conditions that require sophisticated surgical procedures. Whether your child needs a routine check-up or advanced evaluation and treatment for a serious eye condition, we have the expertise to care for every need.
Our pediatric ophthalmology program is the only one of its kind in Indiana, and is staffed by a team of technicians, optometrists and board certified, fellowship trained pediatric ophthalmologists—physicians that bring advanced eye care to children through an extra tier of intensive training that goes well beyond a standard medical education.
Every member of our team has a special set of skills designed to manage children’s eye care, which is distinct from adult care. Pediatric eye specialists have the skills and technology to objectively evaluate children of all ages and developmental stages, regardless of their ability to communicate what they see.
Our eye specialists welcome families in a child-friendly environment where children are recognized and respected for their unique needs. Although children have many of the same conditions as adults, they are affected quite differently by them—and have a different set of health and anatomical factors that require pediatric expertise. Eye specialists at Riley at IU Health have detailed knowledge of children’s developing visual systems. We bring intricate skills to every child’s evaluation, diagnosis and treatment—all of which require an approach that is different from adult care.
While we are specially trained to care for children with the most challenging eye conditions or trauma, Riley at IU Health eye specialists also serve a much broader population of kids with less complex needs, including children who need contact lenses and glasses or those who fail school vision screening.
Occasionally, a suspected issue with a child’s vision is actually a learning or reading disability. As part of a larger multidisciplinary team at Riley at IU Health, our eye specialists are trained to distinguish vision problems from learning problems, so children can be directed to proper care and treatment. We can also coordinate care with pediatric healthcare providers who can address each child’s learning or reading disability. When our physicians identify a condition that does not need ophthalmologic care, we guide families to evidenced-based care that is recognized for delivering positive outcomes for children.
Riley at IU Health ophthalmologists provide care for adults with eye muscle disorders (strabismus) or double vision. Many adults do not realize that there are new options for repairing eye muscle imbalances and other conditions that were once untreatable. As part of a healthcare system that is steeped in research and innovation, pediatric ophthalmologists at Riley at IU Health offer advanced treatment options not available elsewhere—for children and adults. Our physicians are active researchers who advance standard eye care options through clinical trials that study new methods of treatment and diagnosis.
At Riley at IU Health, your child receives care from the most experienced specialists in the field of ophthalmology. Our ophthalmologists train the next generation of pediatric eye specialists and hold national and international leadership roles in pediatric ophthalmology through professional associations such as the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, and the International Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Council. Our team is also widely published in peer-reviewed medical journals and texts that are used to train medical students, residents and fellows.
Glasses, contacts and a full range of optical services are offered through a collaborative arrangement with an onsite optical shop, which serves children of all ages. All Riley at IU Health patients are free to select the optical vendor of their preference. To contact the optical shop, call 317.944.8389.
Below is a partial list of the conditions treated by ophthalmologists at Riley at IU Health:
Among the services we offer are:
In addition to our primary hospital location at the Academic Health Center in Indianapolis, IN, we have convenient locations to better serve our communities throughout the state.
Sort through 5 facilities offering Ophthalmology care by entering your city or zip below.
The Ophthalmology at Riley at IU Health provides the following forms for parents, healthcare providers and personnel. We have also curated relevant resources from other websites and provided links with brief descriptions of the information that is available.
Guide to Surgery (Riley at IU Health)
View our Guide to Surgery to ease anxiety and prepare you and your child before surgery.
Guía para la cirugía (Riley at IU Health)
Creamos esta guía como un recurso para ayudarlo a comprender mejor nuestro proceso y para aliviar un poco la ansiedad que pueda estar experimentando.
American Academy of Family Physicians
This organization provides education and support to family physicians. Their online publication, American Family Physician, includes scholarly articles with background information on diagnosing and treating eye conditions.
American Academy of Ophthalmology
The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the largest national membership association of physicians who provide eye care in the U.S. Their website, EyeSmart.org, contains eye health information.
American Academy of Pediatrics
This organization supports pediatricians and offers information for parents. Their website, HealthyChildren.org, includes information on various eye conditions.
American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
This organization supports improvement of children’s eye care, training for pediatric ophthalmologists and research in pediatric ophthalmology. Their website includes information on eye conditions for patients, families, physicians and other healthcare professionals.
The NEI, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducts and supports research, provides training, and shares health information about eyesight, eye diseases and conditions.
We provide multispecialty care for a number of conditions. Below are links to our related departments.
We welcome referrals from other physicians, optometrists and other healthcare providers. To schedule a patient for an evaluation, contact us at these numbers:
Phone: 317.944.8103
Fax: 317.944.1111
Important Phone Numbers
Call 317.944.5000 for Eye Emergencies. Ask for the ophthalmologist or eye doctor on call.
Call 317.944.8389 for the optical shop.
Call 317.944.8103 for appointments and referrals
Our physicians are committed to excellence in pediatric ophthalmology care, demonstrated through participation in research at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Recent research explores the use of intraocular lens and secondary Artisan lens implants in children as a treatment for cataracts, new drugs to treat glaucoma, new therapies for macular degeneration and treatment of strabismus. We have also completed research in molecular biology of the chemical cycle of vision, neurophysiology of eye movements and physiology of blood flow in the eye.
The pediatric ophthalmology section at Riley at IU Health has provided the fellowship training for over 100 physicians who practice pediatric ophthalmology throughout the United States and across the globe. Residents and physicians may apply for the program through SF Match, a service designed to pair candidates with appropriate programs for advanced medical education.
