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COVID-19 Updates: Visitor Guidelines, Vaccines & More

Safety Measures at Riley Children’s Health

We are taking thoughtful steps to ensure our spaces remain safe for patients, parents and caregivers. View safety measures, mask policy and visiting guidelines.


COVID-19 Vaccines

The COVID-19 vaccine is available to anyone 5 and older. People younger than 18 must receive the Pfizer vaccine. To schedule an appointment, call 211 or visit ourshot.in.gov. Several COVID-19 vaccine locations also offer walk-in appointments. View full details.

Actualizaciones de COVID-19: Políticas para visitantes, vacunas y más

Medidas de seguridad en Riley Children's Health

Estamos adoptando medidas reflexivas para garantizar que nuestros espacios sigan siendo seguros para los pacientes, los padres y los cuidadores. Vea las medidas de seguridad, la política de uso de mascarillas y las directrices de visitas.

Vacunas contra la COVID-19

La vacuna contra la COVID-19 está disponible para cualquier persona mayor de 5 años. Las personas menores de 18 años deben recibir la vacuna de Pfizer. Para programar una cita, llame al 211 o visite la página ourshot.in.gov. Varios centros de vacunación contra la COVID-19 atienden sin cita previa. Vea todos los detalles.

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Riley Children's Health

Pediatric Surgery

Pediatric surgeon Dr. Fred Rescorla talking with a young male patient

Contact the Pediatric Surgery Department

317.944.4681

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  • Why Riley at IU Health
  • Conditions & Services
  • Doctors & Locations
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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.

Why Riley at IU Health for Pediatric Surgery

Why Riley at IU Health for Pediatric Surgery

Children of all ages with a wide range of conditions often require surgical intervention. Our pediatric general surgeons are highly trained in caring for childhood ailments from the common to the complex, including hernias, cancer, congenital anomalies and serious trauma. Our team 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 treatment plan.

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

  • Gallstones & biliary dyskinesia
  • Thoracic abnormalities such as pectus excavatum & pectus carinatum
  • Hernias and hydroceles
  • Oncologic surgery
  • Ovarian cysts & tumors
  • Tracheoesophageal fistulas
  • Trauma surgery

Our pediatric 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. To become a pediatric surgeon, 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 various multidisciplinary programs. These programs 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 Pediatric Surgery Consortium, which studies the best treatment protocols for many different conditions requiring surgery.

Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health has been named a Level I Children’s Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), becoming the first and only children’s hospital in Indiana to earn this status. As the highest distinction, Level I Children's Surgery Centers can provide the most comprehensive surgical care to infants and children - including those with some of the most complex conditions.

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 & Services

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.

  • Abdominal Wall Defects
  • Biliary Atresia
  • Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)
  • Congenital Pulmonary Anomalies
  • Gallstones & Biliary Dyskinesia
  • Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER)
  • Gastroschisis in Babies
  • Hernias & Hydroceles
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
  • Omphalocele
  • Ovarian Cysts & Tumors
  • Short Bowel Syndrome
  • Thoracic Abnormalities
  • Tracheoesophageal Fistula
  • Undescended Testes

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.

  • Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
  • Oncologic Surgery
  • Trauma Surgery

Doctors and Locations

Doctors

of | results

    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 11 facilities offering pediatric surgical care by entering your city or zip below.

    See all facilities →

    Department Forms & Resources

    Department Forms & Resources

    The Pediatric Surgery at Riley at IU Health provides the following resources 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.

    Resources

    • Guide to Surgery (Riley at IU Health) 311.083 KB

      View our Guide to Surgery to ease anxiety and prepare you and your child before surgery.

    • Guía para la cirugía (Riley at IU Health) 124.137 KB

      Creamos esta guía como un recurso para ayudarlo a comprender mejor nuestro proceso y para aliviar un poco la ansiedad que pueda estar experimentando.

    • Children’s Oncology Group

      This national organization provides information for families and supports research for childhood cancers such as tumor management.

    • National Organization for Rare Disorders

      This group provides resources and information for patients and families about treatments for rare disorders such as congenital pulmonary anomalies.

    Related Programs & Departments

    Related Programs & Departments

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

    • Biliary Atresia Program
    • Burn Program
    • Chest Wall Program
    • Children's Clinical Research Center
    • Children's Health Services Research
    • Colorectal and Urogenital Health Center
    • Critical Care
    • Emergency Medicine
    • Fetal Center
    • Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
    • Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research
    • Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program
    • Intestinal Care Program
    • Malone Antegrade Continence Enema (MACE) Program
    • Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM)
    • Neonatology (NICU)
    • Trauma

    Related Stories

    Related Stories

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    From near death to the life of the party

    12/09/21 Patient Stories

    “I’m just beyond grateful and feel very blessed that she had such good people around her,” the mom of a 5-year-old said after her daughter suffered extensive injuries in an accident.

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    Riley earns top marks from American College of Surgeons

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    Level 1 children’s surgery verification signifies Riley’s “commitment to continuous improvement and to quality outcomes.”

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    Health Professionals

    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. Referring physicians may contact us at 317.944.4681 or by fax at 317.944.9740.

    Refer A Patient

    Research

    Under the direction of Troy A. Markel, MD, the Pediatric Surgery Basic Science Research Laboratory at Riley at IU Health focuses on defining novel diagnostic tools and therapies for neonatal intestinal disorders such as necrotizing enterocolitis and intestinal ischemia. In 2018, Dr. Markel received more than $600,000 in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health to support the lab for the next four years. In addition, he was awarded $225,000 through the American College of Surgeons Clowes Memorial Fund. The lab continues to partner with private philanthropists and local industry in an attempt to detect and eradicate these conditions in newborns.

    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:
    • Pediatric Surgery Residency
    • Pediatric Surgery Fellowship
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