As an integrated unit with the Pediatric Intensive Care Unite (PICU), the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health, provides state of the art monitoring and vital support for critically ill infants, children and adolescents with congenital or acquired heart disease. Our CVICU ranks as one of the world’s best in outcomes following pediatric cardiovascular surgery. We maintain this reputation despite caring for some of the most complex cases in Indiana, surrounding states and abroad.

We care for approximately 350 critical cardiovascular pediatric patients a year, the vast majority being post-operative care for complex cardiac surgeries. Our CVICU is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every week of the year, with board-certified pediatric critical care specialists and pediatric cardiologists who have special expertise in the management of critically ill children with cardiac conditions. Your child’s comprehensive care team also has specially trained staff nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, dieticians, social workers and other support professionals. The skill and expertise our comprehensive team has, allows us to provide our patients care, including: cardiac critical care, cardiology, cardiovascular surgery and cardiac anesthesiology. We are continually at the forefront of pediatric cardiology research, therefore improving our patients’ care and outcomes.

Children benefit not only from our level of experience and expertise, but our family-centered approach. We encourage parents and/or caretakers to be involved in the care we provide because your involvement can help keep you, your child and your family at ease in a tense, high-pressure situation.