Board certified plastic surgeons at Riley Children’s Health provide a wide range of reconstructive surgical care to pediatric patients. Treating children across Indiana and regionally, our fellowship- trained surgeons are committed to providing advanced and compassionate care to restore patients to their best selves. PLASTIC SURGERY
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Advanced technologies and procedures ■ Corneal neurotization to preserve vision in patients with neurotrophic keratopathy ■ Cross C7 nerve transfers to reconstruct severe brachial plexus injuries ■ Cultured epithelial autografts enabling greater survival from massive burns ■ Free functional muscle transplants for facial paralysis and eyelid animation ■ Distraction lengthening of mandible and cranial vault for severe airway compromise or craniosynostosis ■ Simultaneous nerve
Study topics ■ Impact of novel surgical procedures for Moebius syndrome
(funded by the Moebius Syndrome Foundation) ■ Cellular basis for neurotrophic keratopathy
■ New ways to deliver drugs to injured nerves to improve regeneration and function (funded by the U.S. Department of Defense) ■ Cleft and craniofacial surgical outcomes
TOP DISTINCTIONS
Specialized programs
Corneal Neurotization Program We collaborate with Riley Ophthalmology to treat pediatric neurotrophic keratopathy using nerve transfers and nerve grafts to provide new sensation to insensate corneas to reverse blindness. Cleft and Craniofacial Program One of the first such programs established in the U.S., our comprehensive, multidisciplinary program defines the standard of care for facial reconstruction. Pediatric Burn Center Riley Children’s has the only pediatric burn center in Indiana certified by the American Burn Association. Established in 1971, the center includes a self-contained burn ICU and inpatient unit. Adolescent Breast and Chest Program We offer surgical options for patients with macromastia, gynecomastia, breast asymmetry, Poland syndrome and pectus
■ One of the few programs in the nation—and the first in Indiana—to perform corneal neurotization for neurotrophic keratopathy ■ One of the few centers nationally to use spray skin burn coverage technology ■ Only facility in the state to offer microtia reconstruction, infant ear molding and jaw distraction ■ Largest cleft and craniofacial care team in Indiana and the only program approved by the American Cleft Palate- Craniofacial Association
Registries and clinical trials ■ Corneal neurotization registry ■ Facial paralysis clinical trial ■ Brachial plexus injury registry ■ Spray skin for burns clinical trial ■ Spiritual care trial registry
26 research publications in 2024
reconstruction and tendon transfer in brachial plexus birth palsy
NOTABLE PUBLICATIONS
The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal: March 2025 Spiritual distress in caregivers of patients with cleft and craniofacial anomalies—a single-center cross-sectional study 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 Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery: November 2024 Through their eyes: Navigating life with limited eyelid closure in patients with Moebius syndrome Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: September 2024 Evaluation of long-term surgical and patient-reported outcomes after pediatric facial reanimation Neural Regeneration Research: January 2025 A functional tacrolimus-releasing nerve wrap for enhancing nerve regeneration following surgical nerve repair
excavatum/carinatum. Facial Paralysis Program
Riley Children’s delivers leading-edge treatment to children with all forms of congenital and developmental facial paralysis, including acquired facial paralysis from tumors, trauma or other causes. Hand Program We provide operative solutions and treatment for all types of congenital and developmental hand conditions, as well as disabilities caused by trauma and other circumstances. Brachial Plexus Program Our multidisciplinary program provides total care for injuries to the brachial plexus that present significant surgical challenges to reconstruction; treatment methods include nerve surgery, rehabilitation, and joint and tendon rebalancing. Plastic surgeons at Riley Children’s perform distraction of the mandible with 3D visualization and planning to optimize outcomes, particularly for patients with underdeveloped mandibles that lead to functional issues and aesthetic concerns.
DIVISION CHIEF Gregory H. Borschel, MD, FAAP, FACS, FAAPS James Joseph Harbaugh, Jr. Professor of Plastic Surgery, IU School of Medicine > Connect with Dr. Borschel on Doximity.
6 board certified physicians
See full team member list >
Annual Report 2024 – 2025
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