Skilled neurosurgeons at Riley Children’s Health manage complex brain, spine and nervous system conditions in children of all ages, from fetuses and newborns 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
Clinical research Endoscopic Versus Shunt Treatment of Hydrocephalus in Infants – International randomized controlled trial through the Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network that is designed to determine any difference in neuropsychological outcomes between cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) shunting and endoscopic third ventriculostomy with choroid plexus cauterization (ETV+CPC) in infants with hydrocephalus. Basic science research ■ Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) stem cell model – First human model of NF2 spinal ependymoma identifying differentiation failure and a targetable transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD) protein-actionable therapeutic pathway ■ Single-cell/spatial genomics – Studying defined tumor heterogeneity and lineage hierarchy, enabling precision, biology-driven treatment strategies ■ NF2 mouse models – Developing in vivo models of tumor initiation to enable preclinical drug testing and translation to patients ■ Kinome profiling – Identifying actionable kinase targets (e.g., HER2) to unlock targeted therapies for hard-to-treat pediatric tumors Major funding awards in 2025 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke K08 Career Development Award ■ Mechanisms of differentiation failure in NF2-mutant stem cells ■ Stem cell tumor models – Building human models of tumor initiation to systematically discover new drug targets across pediatric brain tumors
Clinical outcomes: 2025
Overall surgical site infection rate Less than 2%
Premier programs
TOP DISTINCTIONS
Riley Children’s is one of the few centers in the Midwest to offer a laser ablation program for children with epilepsy and brain tumors.
Unplanned 30-day readmission following craniofacial surgery Less than 3% Unplanned 30-day operative revision following craniofacial surgery Less than 3% Unplanned 30-day readmission following craniotomy Less than 3%
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
■ 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 prenatal closure of myelomeningocele. > Learn more. ■ Advanced procedures and offerings: – Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and stereotactic EEG (sEEG) – Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) program for epilepsy and neuro-oncology – Minimally invasive rhizotomy surgeries to treat upper and lower extremity spasticity and dystonia in children with cerebral palsy (CP) – Precision genomics for neuro-oncology – Comprehensive craniosynostosis program offering open and endoscopic procedures – Responsive neurostimulation (RNS) surgery for treatment- resistant epilepsy ■ Indiana’s only pediatric facility with a cranial surgical robot
intractable epilepsy: Intracranial seizure monitoring (grids/strips and sEEG), surgical resection of epileptogenic regions, laser interstitial thermal
therapy, hemispherotomy, and corpus callosotomy ■ Neuromodulation therapies (VNS, RNS and DBS) Comprehensive Surgical Spasticity Program
Unplanned 30-day return to OR following craniotomy Less than 3%
■ 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 ■ Wide range of advanced treatments and technologies: Distraction techniques, total vault reconstruction, midface advancements, and endoscopic and open approaches for treating craniosynostosis
U.S. Department of Defense NF2 Research Award ■ Development of genetically engineered mouse models
22 research publications in 2025
NOTABLE PUBLICATIONS
Epilepsia: October 2025 What defines response to vagus nerve stimulation in children with drug-resistant epilepsy? A prospective cohort study from the CONNECTiVOS collaboration Child’s Nervous System: October 2025 Subtotal tumor resection as a predictor of post-resection hydrocephalus in pediatric patients with posterior fossa tumors Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics: May 2025 Complex shunt system comparison: An observational study by the Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics: March 2025 Racial disparities in hydrocephalus mortality and shunt revision: A study from the Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network Pregnancy: August 2025 Maternal laparotomy to fetoscopic myelomeningocele repair in patients with Class 2 obesity is safe and feasible
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.
6 board certified pediatric neurosurgeons
See full team member list >
Refer a patient online
T 317.944.6201
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker