Benjamin C. Warf, MD, Presented with 2007 AANS Humanitarian Award

Wilmington, Delaware
Friday, May 04, 2007 @ 10:39 AM EDT
by: James F. Lardear
Director, Public Relations
(302) 652-6092
jlardear@nemours.org

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.

modified: Monday, August 06, 2007 @ 10:40 AM EDT
created: Monday, August 06, 2007 @ 10:39 AM EDT

About Nemours

Nemours, one of the nation’s largest pediatric health systems, is dedicated to achieving higher standards in children’s health. Nemours offers an integrated spectrum of clinical treatment coupled with research, advocacy, and educational health and prevention services extending to all families in the communities it serves. Starting with Alfred I. duPont’s bequest over seventy years ago, Nemours has grown into a multi-dimensional organization offering personalized clinical and preventive care focused on children.

Nemours owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and major children’s specialty clinics in Delaware (Wilmington), Florida (Jacksonville, Orlando and Pensacola), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr) and New Jersey (Atlantic City and Voorhees). Having recently received preliminary approval from the State of Florida, Nemours will establish a new full-service children’s hospital as part of an integrated pediatric health campus in Orlando. KidsHealth.org, the world’s most visited pediatric health care Web site for parents, kids and teens, is a project of Nemours.

Nemours employs over 4,400 individuals, including 430 pediatric physicians, specialists and surgeons who cared for approximately a quarter of a million children in 2007. The organization’s goal is to align with parents, physicians, community leaders, children’s advocates and elected officials to ensure optimal wellness for every child. Additional information about Nemours can be found at www.nemours.org.