The Warf method (ETV/CPC) has been performed over 10,000 times over the past 20 years. It has been researched, studied and the results published in many prestigious scientific journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine. Most major children’s hospitals in the United States offer this service. But it begs the question, why is the Warf method not the first line of treatment for infant hydrocephalus everywhere in the world?
Quite simply, someone has to go and train others how to perform it, and more importantly, commit to mentoring trainees until they have mastered it. Plus, there are some places in the world where the cost of the equipment is prohibitive. NeuroKids addresses all of these barriers.
This past week, at the invitation of Prof. Abdeslam El Khamlichi, Dr. Benjamin Warf, founder and chairman of NeuroKids, traveled to Rabat, Morocco to train Dr. Yassaad Oudrhiri, a neurosurgeon at the National Center for Neuroscience and Rehabilitation. Dr. Warf was joined by Dr. Justin Onen and Dr. Femi Bankole, from Uganda and Nigeria, respectively, to train and mentor Dr. Oudrhiri over the next several months. Thanks to our partnership with Ohana One and TeleVu, our team can remotely mentor Dr. Oudrhiri from anywhere in the world. Additionally, our partnership with Karl Storz ensures the team in Rabat has the endoscopy equipment they need to provide this treatment for children and families throughout Morocco.
It was truly amazing to witness the reunion of Dr. Warf with Dr. Femi Bankole and Dr. Justin Onen this past week. Dr. Bankole and Dr. Onen are incredible men and long-time friends. They are experts in the Warf method (ETV/CPC) and among the most prolific providers of this life-saving treatment in the world. NeuroKids is humbled to have these two neurosurgeons on our team. Dr. Bankole was Dr. Warf’s first fellow to train in ETV/CPC in 2006 and serves children and families in Lagos, Nigeria. Dr. Onen is a Ugandan neurosurgeon, first hired as a medical officer in 2005 by Dr. Warf when they were in Mbale, Uganda. Dr. Onen completed his five-year neurosurgery residency in Rabat, Morocco and today treats children at Mulago, the national referral hospital in Kampala. Nearly 20 years in the making! So much fun to see these three men reconnect in person.
We are especially grateful to Prof. El Khamlichi, Dr. Oudrhiri and their stellar team in Rabat for their commitment to treating children with hydrocephalus and as one of the leading neurosurgery training centers in Africa.
