WASHINGTON (April 16, 2007) - In recognition
of his unwavering dedication to neurosurgical science and the medical community,
Benjamin C. Warf, MD, has been named the recipient of the 2007 Humanitarian
Award of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). The award
will be presented at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, April 17 at the AANS Annual Meeting
- Celebrating AANS’ Diamond Jubilee – April 16-19,
in Washington, D.C. Dr. Warf is being honored for dedicating six years of his
life to advancing pediatric neurosurgery in Uganda, East Africa.
In July 2006, Dr. Warf joined the Division of Neurosurgery at the Nemours/Alfred
I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del. Prior to moving to Uganda,
he was chief of pediatric neurosurgery at the University of Kentucky.
Dr.Warf’s commitment to helping patients in impoverished regions prompted
a move to Uganda in March 2000. While there, he helped establish the CURE Children’s
Hospital of Uganda Center for Pediatric Neurosurgery. Dr. Warf was director
of Neurosurgery for CURE International from 2000 to 2006. He was program director
for the Foundation for International Education in Neurosurgery (FIENS) Fellowship
in Pediatric Neurosurgery from 2004 to 2006.
Dr. Warf discovered a high incidence of pediatric hydrocephalus
while in Uganda. He expanded on an alternative procedure for treating hydrocephalus,
called endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), which enables cerebrospinal
fluid (CSF) to exit the ventricles without the need for a shunt. He accomplished
this by using a flexible endoscope and cauterizing the choroid plexus, thus
decreasing the production of CSF. Dr. Warf performed more than 1,000 ETV procedures
while in Uganda, avoiding the need for shunts in most of these children. This
offered a unique and effective treatment for children in whom shunt management
and follow-up would have been extremely difficult.
He has published articles in 25 peer-reviewed journals, including a series
on utilizing ETV procedures in Uganda, which was published in the Journal
of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics. He has presented at congresses worldwide.
In addition to the AANS, Dr. Warf is currently a member of the American Society
of Pediatric Neurosurgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the AANS/CNS
Section on Pediatric Neurological Surgery.
Dr. Warf received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, followed
by his internship in general surgery and residency in neurosurgery at Case
Western Reserve University/University Hospitals of Cleveland . He was the first
Fellow in Pediatric Neurosurgery at Children's Hospital of Boston/Harvard Medical
School.
Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of
Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with
more than 6,800 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty
of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical
care to patients. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American
Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
(Neurosurgery) of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC.
Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention,
diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire
nervous system including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain and peripheral
nerves.
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