Charlie Teo is an Australian neurosurgeon. Since 2009, Teo has been a council member for Australian animal welfare group Voiceless.
Bio/Wiki
Age-65years
Height- 5 feet 7 inches
Weight-70kg
Born- 24 December 1957
Birthplace- Sydney, Australia
Profession- Australian neurosurgeon
Spouse- Genevieve Teo (m. ?–2018)
Partner-Traci Griffiths
Full name- Charles Teo AM
Education- The Scots College, UNSW Sydney
Nationality- Australian
Family
Teo’s parents, who were of Chinese-Singaporean descent, immigrated to Australia where he was born. He received his education at The Scots College and the University of New South Wales, completing his studies in 1981 and earning a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree.
Wife
Teo was previously married to Genevieve Teo (formerly Agnew) However, they separated in 2018.
Teo is currently engaged to Traci Griffiths, a former international model. In 2011, Griffiths was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and Teo was her treating surgeon.
Children
They have four daughters together, Nikki Teo, Sophie Teo, Alex Teo, Katie Teo.
Career
Charles Teo AM began his career in general neurosurgery at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital before heading to the United States. He completed a fellowship in Dallas, Texas, becoming the only Australian neurosurgeon certified by a US medical board. Teo spent almost a decade in the United States, holding positions such as Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
Upon returning to Australia, Teo established the Centre for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery at the Prince of Wales Hospital and founded the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation (formerly Cure For Life Foundation) and the Charlie Teo Foundation. He gained international recognition in the field of minimally invasive neurosurgery and has been invited to speak and teach in numerous countries, collaborating with esteemed institutions like Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, and the Barrow Neurological Institute.
Teo has treated notable patients, including Jane McGrath, Dr. Chris O’Brien, and Stan Zemanek. Several books and TV programs have featured his work, highlighting his contributions to the field. Teo has received various accolades, including being named the “Most Trusted Australian” multiple times by Reader’s Digest and being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his service to medicine.
Controversy
However, controversies have arisen surrounding Teo’s practices. Some media outlets have questioned the effectiveness of his procedures, and concerns have been raised about the large sums of money raised through crowdfunding for his surgeries. The NSW Medical Council conducted a special hearing into his behaviors, and he was restricted from performing certain procedures without written approval from an independent neurosurgeon. Investigations by the Health Care Complaints Commission have also taken place, and Teo faced a disciplinary hearing in September 2022.
In 2022, reports emerged that Teo was performing surgeries in Spain, beyond the regulatory powers of the NSW Medical Council. A Sydney Morning Herald article highlighted cases where Teo charged exorbitant amounts for surgeries that ultimately did not provide the promised cure and resulted in catastrophic injuries. Teo defended his interventions in interviews but faced criticism from other neurosurgeons. During the hearing, it was reported that Teo had slapped an unconscious patient in front of their family, an action that drew condemnation.
Achievement/Awards
He has been published in over 120 peer reviewed journals, has authored two books on keyhole approaches to brain tumours and featured as a guest editor for several journals. He is the Australian representative on the Tumour Section of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and CNS. Dr.
Awards
As passionate about teaching as performing surgery, Charlie has been awarded Best Teacher awards in both the USA and Australia and devotes 3 months of every year instructing and doing live surgery pro bono in developing countries.
Net Worth 2023
Charlie Teo Net Worth 2023 – The famous Australian neurosurgeon “Charlie Teo” has a net worth of $ 5 million dollars.
Latest News About Charlie Teo
Neurosurgeon Dr. Charlie Teo has been found guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct by a professional standards committee. The committee concluded that he inappropriately charged $35,000 to a vulnerable patient who later died following her surgery, and engaged in other forms of improper conduct. In response, he has been reprimanded and had conditions placed on his registration.
As a result of the investigation conducted by the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission, Teo will now require written support from another specialist before performing certain procedures. The investigation was prompted by complaints regarding two patients diagnosed with terminal brain tumors.
Both patients did not regain consciousness after their surgeries, which took place in 2018 and 2019 at Sydney’s Prince of Wales Private Hospital. Unfortunately, both patients passed away, one ten days after the surgery and the other several months later.
During the hearings earlier this year, Teo faced allegations of misleading patients, performing risky surgeries, and failing to adequately inform patients and their families about the associated risks. The Medical Professional Standards Committee determined that Teo decided to operate on these patients despite the risks outweighing the potential benefits. The committee found that he did not obtain informed consent from the patients before performing the surgeries. Additionally, he charged an inappropriate fee of $35,000 to one patient before the surgery and made inappropriate comments to the same patient’s daughter after the procedure. Teo denied making these comments, but the committee deemed the daughter’s testimony to be credible.
The committee’s decision stated that it was inappropriate for Teo to charge $35,000 for the surgical procedure, considering the patient’s vulnerable state and unequal bargaining power. They concluded that this charging constituted improper conduct.The committee ordered that Teo, known for taking on challenging cases when other surgeons would not, must now obtain a written statement from a NSW Medical Council-approved neurosurgeon to support him in performing recurrent malignant intracranial tumor and brain stem tumor surgical procedures. If the written statement does not support Teo performing the procedures, he will not be allowed to proceed with the surgery. The committee also noted Teo’s failure to properly inform patients about the surgeries and his inadequate note-taking during the procedures.
Teo will be required to inform the Medical Council in writing at least seven days in advance if he intends to change the nature or location of his practice.
The committee’s decision emphasized the need to balance public health and safety while allowing Teo to continue providing surgical services to patients. Despite the commendable positions Teo holds and the letters of support from patients and colleagues presented to the committee, they found that he lacked an appreciation of his patients’ vulnerability and the flaws in their consent or patient autonomy. The committee also expressed concern over Teo’s lack of reflection on his judgment in offering surgeries without sufficient statistical data or peer support.
Teo has the right to appeal this decision to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal and seek a review by the Medical Council of the committee’s order to impose conditions.