The expert anesthesiologists at Riley Children’s Health deliver safe, evidence-based and compassionate care to pediatric patients in all areas of anesthesia, perioperative medicine, and acute and chronic pain management. In addition, our specialists are committed to leading innovative perioperative care research, providing high-quality clinical education and improving health outcomes. ANESTHESIA
Committed to quality and safety Anesthesiology team members at Riley Children’s are actively involved in the statewide IU Health controlled substance stewardship and steering committees to enhance and guide safe opioid prescribing practices for all pediatric patients.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Grant-funded or industry-sponsored research ■ Perioperative precision medicine: Translating science into clinical practice to improve safety and efficacy of opioids in neonates, children and nursing mothers ■ Implementing and personalizing best-in-class opioid-sparing pain management for major inpatient pediatric surgeries ■ Conducting a multicenter, open-label, randomized, bupivacaine- controlled study to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and safety of Exparel ® for postoperative analgesia in patients ages 0 to less than 6 years undergoing cardiac surgery
Specialized programs
TOP DISTINCTIONS
Riley Children’s participates in WakeUp Safe , a pediatric anesthesia
Chronic Pain Management Program Harnessing the expertise of pain physicians, psychologists, and physical and occupational therapists, this multidisciplinary program provides psychological and procedural support for pediatric patients with chronic pain. Acute Pain Management Program Skilled anesthesiologists provide leading-edge pain management for inpatient and outpatient procedures; use regional anesthesia and pain management protocols to enhance recovery and mitigate unwanted side effects. Cardiac Anesthesia Program The congenital cardiac anesthesia team delivers specialized care to children and adults with congenital and acquired cardiac disease who are undergoing diagnostic, interventional and surgical procedures. Transplant Anesthesia Program Providing 24/7 coverage for complex transplant cases, our physicians specialize in anesthesia care for children undergoing intra-abdominal and multivisceral transplants.
■ Subspecialty anesthesia care for complex cardiac, neurosurgical and transplant surgeries, as well as acute and chronic pain management services ■ Nationally recognized in pediatric anesthesia and pain medicine research ■ Leader in the use of infant spinal anesthesia to minimize the need for general anesthesia
quality improvement initiative sponsored by the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia.
NOTABLE PUBLICATIONS
A leader in training and education ■ Riley Children’s and Indiana University School of Medicine offer an ACGME-accredited fellowship program that provides comprehensive training in all aspects of pediatric anesthesia. ■ The ACGME-accredited advanced pediatric cardiac anesthesia fellowship at Riley Children’s and IU School of Medicine provides robust training in anesthesia for congenital heart disease. children witih stable pulmonary arterial hypertension The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery: December 2025 The circulatory arrest recovery ammonia problem (CARAP) hypothesis: A proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) study of brain metabolism during neonatal cardiopulmonary bypass surgery Current Opinion in Anesthesiology: June 2025 Recent advancements in fetal anesthesia AANA Journal: February 2026 The importance of values solicitation for informed consent deficiencies ASA Monitor: January 2026 Novel fetoscopic repair offers quality of life improvement for spina bifida patients Pediatrics: July 2025 Acute intraoperative STEMI in a toddler Pulmonary Circulation: June 2025 Programmatic approach to outpatient cardiac catheterization in
Leading-edge technologies in cardiac anesthesia
TEG 6S, a new point-of-care diagnostic modality, allows real-time assessment and treatment of bleeding disorders during cardiac surgery.
Anesthesia Encounters: 2023 – 2025
2023
2024
2025
Riley Children’s is a member of the Pediatric Anesthesia Learning Network (PALNET), a group of leading pediatric hospitals that promotes expertise in EEG-guided monitoring of anesthetic depth. This technique allows for more accurate and personalized dosing of anesthetic drugs, resulting in less emergence delirium, more stability and faster wake-ups. With the goal of improving patient outcomes, several members of our team have become experts in this technique and are training other anesthesiology professionals at Riley Children’s.
Riley Hospital for Children Main OR
17,000 * 17,000 * 17,000 *
DIVISION CHIEF Rania K. Abbasi, MD, FASA Associate Professor of Clinical Anesthesia, IU School of Medicine > Connect with Dr. Abbasi on Doximity.
Riley Outpatient Center
5,573 5,746 5,967
Riley Children’s Health at IU Health North
3,448 3,256 4,026
35 board certified physicians
See full team member list >
Total
26,021 26,002 26,993
* Estimated total for Main OR
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