Skilled neurosurgeons at Riley Children’s Health manage complex brain, spine and nervous system conditions in children of all ages, from infants to young adults. We routinely treat the most complex issues, including intractable epilepsy, skull and spine deformities, traumatic injuries, congenital conditions such as spina bifida, benign and malignant tumors, and blood vessel abnormalities in the brain. Our team is a partner in Indiana’s longest-standing Level I Pediatric Trauma Center verified by the American College of Surgeons. NEUROSURGERY
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
NOTABLE PUBLICATIONS
43 active studies in 2024 Select neurosurgery clinical trials underway at Riley Children’s: ■ Genetics of chiari malformation with and without syringomyelia ■ Cerebral Palsy Research Network (CPRN) registry ■ Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network (HCRN) core data project: Characterizing patient populations within the HCRN ■ Noninvasive pressure monitoring for neonates and infants at risk of developing hydrocephalus ■ Dissecting the cellular heterogeneity of epileptogenic zones Studies unique to Riley Children’s
The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery: November 2024 Comparative analysis of patient- reported outcomes after cranial vault remodeling and strip craniectomy with the FACE-Q craniofacial module Child’s Nervous System: February 2025 Validating the modified Canadian preoperative prediction rule for hydrocephalus for accurate hydrocephalus prediction in a statewide pediatric brain tumor cohort Pediatrics: June 2025 Reducing computed tomography in pediatric cervical spine clearance: A quality improvement study
Premier programs
TOP DISTINCTIONS
Comprehensive Epilepsy Program ■ One of the largest specialty teams in the region with three pediatric epilepsy surgeons and eight pediatric epileptologists ■ Advanced surgical interventions for medically intractable epilepsy: Intracranial seizure monitoring (grids/strips and sEEG), surgical resection of epileptogenic regions, laser interstitial thermal therapy, hemispherotomy, and corpus callosotomy
■ Indiana’s only Level 4 Comprehensive Epilepsy Center (National Association of Epilepsy Centers) ■ One of just four programs in the U.S. to offer mini-laparotomy fetoscopic repair—an innovative, minimally invasive intrauterine surgical technique—for myelomeningocele. > Learn more.
17 research publications in 2024
Riley Children’s is enrolling patients in more than 20 national and international clinical trials for pediatric tumors of the brain and spinal cord.
■ Neuromodulation therapies (VNS, RNS and DBS) Comprehensive Surgical Spasticity Program
■ Leading-edge minimally invasive interventions for spasticity and dystonia: Selective dorsal rhizotomy, ventral/dorsal rhizotomies, cervical rhizotomy, intrathecal baclofen therapy, deep brain stimulation ■ Two pediatric neurosurgeons and multiple additional specialists trained in treating children with CP; concurrent multidisciplinary evaluation informs treatment plan Fetal neurosurgery ■ Mini-laparotomy fetoscopic surgery for myelomeningocele focused on improving maternal outcomes while maintaining the benefits of prenatal surgery for the fetus. > Learn more. ■ Multidisciplinary team: Neurosurgery, maternal fetal medicine, pediatric surgery, neonatology, developmental pediatrics and more Neuro-oncology ■ Destination program offering leading-edge technologies for brain tumor surgery ■ Only center with robot-assisted surgery for brainstem tumors and minimally invasive laser ablations for deep-seated tumors Neurovascular disorders ■ Dedicated neurointerventional specialist and multidisciplinary pediatric neurovascular team ■ Idiopathic intracranial hypertension protocol in cooperation with pediatric ophthalmology, neurology and neurointerventional teams Craniofacial malformations to offer a laser ablation program for children with epilepsy and brain tumors. ■ Wide range of advanced treatments and technologies: Distraction techniques, total vault reconstruction, midface advancements, and endoscopic and open approaches for treating craniosynostosis Riley Children’s is one of the few centers in the Midwest
Halting brain tumor genesis With a K08 career development award from the National Institutes of Health, Jignesh Tailor, MD, PhD , is studying the role of neurofibromatosis Type 2 gene mutations in central nervous system tumor development. Dr. Tailor is also engaged in grant-funded research on pineoblastoma. > Learn more.
■ Advanced procedures and offerings:
– Magnetoencephalography (MEG) – Laser interstitial thermal therapy program for epilepsy and neuro- oncology – Minimally invasive rhizotomy surgeries to treat upper and lower extremity spasticity in children with cerebral palsy (CP) – Precision genomics for neuro- oncology – Comprehensive craniosynostosis program offering open and endoscopic procedures
Clinical outcomes: 2024
Unplanned 30-day readmission for craniofacial surgeries Less than 3% Unplanned 30-day readmission
for craniotomy Less than 3% Unplanned 30-day return to OR for craniotomy Less than 6% 30-day revision for craniofacial surgery Less than 3% Surgical site infection Less than 2%
DIVISION CHIEF Charles B. Stevenson, MD, FAANS, FACS, FAAP Leah Mindling Abrams Professor of Neurological Oncology; Professor of Clinical Neurological Surgery, IU School of Medicine Connect with Dr. Stevenson on Doximity.
■ Indiana’s only facility with a cranial surgical robot
6 board certified pediatric neurosurgeons
See full team member list >
Annual Report 2024 – 2025
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