Pediatric Surgery

Departments Banner Pediatricsurgery

When your child needs surgery, you and your child might be anxious about the procedure and the need for anesthesia. The Pediatric Surgery Department at Riley at IU Health works with you to mitigate fears and help you understand why surgery is needed.

Children of all ages with a wide range of conditions often require surgical intervention. The doctors in the Pediatric Surgery Department are highly trained in caring for childhood ailments from the common to the complex, including hernias, cancer, congenital anomalies and serious trauma. Our doctors will discuss all details of the surgery with you and your child. When you know what to expect, you and your child will feel better about the prescribed treatment.

The Pediatric Surgery Department at Riley at IU Health specializes in several key areas, including:

  • Biliary dyskinesia
  • Gallstones 
  • Hernias and hydroceles
  • Oncologic surgery
  • Ovarian cysts and tumors 
  • Tracheoesophageal fistulas
  • Trauma surgery

Our surgeons provide your child with the most advanced care available in Indiana and the Midwest. Pediatric surgeons are board certified in both general surgery and pediatric surgery. These doctors must complete one of the most rigorous medical and educational pathways to become licensed surgeons. Doctors in this specialty form an elite group, with fewer than 800 pediatric surgeons practicing in the United States and Canada.

Riley at IU Health provides 24/7 emergency care at its Level I Pediatric Trauma Center. Trauma surgery is a coordinated effort by a group of highly trained health professionals. When your child arrives at the hospital, he or she is quickly evaluated and treated by this team. The Level I trauma team is experienced in treating multiple trauma injuries at once.

Riley at IU Health surgeons started a program for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a type of heart-lung bypass for critically ill newborns that oxygenates the blood and removes carbon dioxide outside the body. The ECMO program is unique to Indiana and is ranked among the top five internationally.

Our surgeons also partner with other pediatric specialists in two multidisciplinary programs: the Biliary Atresia and the Intestinal Care programs, which provide expert care in clinics where children can be seen by doctors in multiple specialties all on the same day. Pediatric surgeons also work with transplant specialists at IU Health to care for children who need any number of transplant surgeries.

Our specialists participate in clinical studies and research related to many pediatric conditions and surgery procedures. We actively participate in research through the Children’s Oncology Group, an international organization focused on improving outcomes for childhood cancer, and the Midwest Area Research Consortium for Health, which studies the best treatment protocols for many different conditions requiring surgery.

Surgery Videocta Surgeryprepenglish

Child's Surgery Prep: English

Katie, a nurse from the surgery team, walks children and their families through what they can expect when having surgery.

Surgery Vdeocta Surgeryprepspanish

Preparándose para la cirugía

Rafael es parte del equipo de expertos que ayuda a que los niños y las familias se preparen para la cirugía en el Hospital Infantil Riley de IU Health.

Surgical Outcomes Callout

Surgery Annual Report

Read more about our surgical quality and patient safety outcomes.

Conditions Treated

Our pediatric specialists provide patient- and family-centered care for most related conditions. The links below provide more specific information about some, but not all, of the conditions that we treat.

Services Offered

We offer a number of different Pediatric Surgery services. Below are some, but not all, of the services that we provide. If you have a question about a specific service that is not listed here, please contact our department.

Doctors

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    Locations

    Locations

    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 12 facilities offering Pediatric Surgery care by entering your city or zip below.

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    Department Forms & Resources

    The Pediatric Surgery 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.

    Forms

    Resources

    Related Programs

    The Pediatric Surgery Department collaborates with other specialty programs at Riley at IU Health.

    For Health Professionals

    The Pediatric Surgery Department works closely with referring physicians in gastroenterology, neonatology, pulmonology and trauma. Our pediatric surgeons are key members of several programs at Riley at IU Health, including biliary atresia and intestinal care. We also teach medical students and residents, so they can receive training in pediatric surgery and participate in research.

    Refer A Patient

    Refer A Patient

    Riley at IU Health works with referring physicians in Indiana and beyond.

    Refer A Patient

    Research

    Visit the Department of Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine for information about the latest research in the field of surgery.

    Education

    The Pediatric Surgery Department at Riley at IU Health works with medical students, residents and fellows to teach many aspects of pediatric surgery.

    Education Resources: