CONTRIBUTED

A pioneer in the development and use of spine navigation technology has joined FirstHealth of the Carolinas' neurosurgery and spine program, bringing the total of board certified neurosurgeons affiliated with the specialty practice to four.

Dr. Charles S. Haworth began seeing patients in the Pinehurst office of FirstHealth UNC Neurosurgery in September. He joined a practice that already includes Drs. Carol M. Wadon, Bruce P. Jaufmann and Larry Van Carson.

FirstHealth UNC Neurosurgery has an office on Cape Center Drive in Fayetteville in addition to the Pinehurst office, which is located in the Pinehurst Surgical building at 5 FirstVillage Drive (across Memorial Drive from FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital).

Haworth, who has performed more than 1,000 navigational spine cases, was involved in the development and introduction of the Stryker Spine Navigation Software program. In a minimally invasive spine navigation procedure, a 3D image is matched with a high-resolution pre-operative CT to produce a CT-quality image of the operation site with less than 10 percent of the radiation exposure of a standard CT to the patient and none at all to the surgeon.

Because the precision of the surgical approach also results in minimal harm to surrounding muscle and tissue, the procedure is effective in the surgical treatment of spinal stenosis and spinal slippage (spondylolisthesis), and the surgical repair of ruptured discs.

"It's accurate and much easier on the patient," Haworth said.

A native of High Point, Haworth earned his medical degree from the Duke University School of Medicine. He completed an internship in neurosurgery at Los Angeles County University of Southern California and a residency, also in neurosurgery, at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

He also completed a neurosurgery fellowship at the University of Virginia.

Haworth served in the U.S. Navy from 1979 to 1993 and practiced neurosurgery at the National Naval Medical Center (now part of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center) from 1990 to 1993.

Before joining FirstHealth, he was associated with Duke Neurosurgical Associates of Lumberton and Southeastern Regional Medical Center.

He is certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and currently serves as treasurer of the North Carolina Spine Society.

The FirstHealth UNC Neurosurgery team specializes in the treatment of diseases/disorders of the brain, spinal cord and spinal column, and peripheral nerves. The office accepts appointment referrals from physicians/health care providers and can be reached at (910) 295-0215 in Pinehurst or (910) 484-9802 in Fayetteville.