>
The father of a young boy who had a brain tumor removed by Dr. Charlie Teo, has urged authorities to allow the celebrated rebel surgeon to help other families.
Jad and Ilana Chahine’s 10-year-old son, Cooper, underwent successful surgery last month in Spain to remove a brainstem tumor under the direction of “last chance” surgeon Dr. teo.
He removed 100 percent of Cooper Chahine’s tumor during surgery in Spain on September 5.
The father of a boy whose brain tumor was removed by Dr. Charlie Teo, has urged authorities to allow the celebrated rebel surgeon to help other families. Pictured, Dr. Teo with his model partner and former patient, Traci Griffiths
Jad and Ilana Chahine’s 10-year-old son, Cooper, underwent successful surgery last month in Spain to remove a brainstem tumor under the direction of “last chance” surgeon Dr. teo. Pictured, the Chahine family in Spain, with a smiling shirtless Cooper in the middle
dr. Teo removed 100 percent of Cooper Chahine’s tumor during surgery in Spain on September 5
Chahine, whose son is in rehab in preparation to hopefully play football, told Daily Mail Australia exactly why Dr. Teo should be operating here.
“I’d ask any other surgeon who would operate on their child in this situation?” he told Daily Mail Australia.
“I bet they say Charlie Teo.”
Is he confident? Yes. But you’re talking about brain surgery on a 10-year-old, I’m a construction worker. I want someone to have faith in this.’
He added that the way Dr. Talking to his son – making him aware of the risks – also made a huge difference to other neurosurgeons.
“He didn’t want to be surprised if he woke up and couldn’t swallow.”
dr. Teo, who was placed under temporary restrictions in Australia a year ago after complaints about his work, has operated several times in Spain and South Africa with a temporary permit.
Chahine says neurosurgeons in Sydney have told him that only 80 percent of the mass in Cooper’s brainstem can be removed and that their boy may need chemotherapy.
Jad Chahine said Mr Teo’s confidence was what he wanted to hear when dealing with something as serious as brain surgery
A month after successful brain surgery, Cooper Chahine is back in rehabilitation and training to play soccer again
After their son’s successful surgery, they say Dr. Teo are needed to save others.
While Chahine wants Dr. Teo is allowed to operate again in Australia, he said “bad press” from Australia means his son’s surgery could stop him from doing more surgeries abroad.
“Robbing families of the chance to choose Charlie for themselves is unthinkable.
“What would happen if Cooper’s twin sister Madison or another child had an operation that only Charlie can do?
“I would do anything to convince these opposing doctors to stop. Think about the patients, let them make a choice.”
Since Dr. Teo operates abroad, it is clear that the NSW Medical Council has been investigating Dr. Teo abroad and was ready to inform the Spanish authorities of his concerns.
Mr Chahine said medical costs were between $90,000 and $100,000 but “worth every penny.”
The celebrated but controversial surgeon operated on a young Sydney woman and a young Melbourne man in Madrid, Spain (pictured, Dr. Teo, left, during brain surgery in Spain this year)
Cooper Chahine with his twin sister Madison after his successful surgery by Dr. Charlie Teo
The Chahine family started looking for answers when Cooper started having aggravated migraines in 2017.
Chahine said the boy had had migraines since he was two years old, but when he couldn’t finish a game of football in 2017, they ran a slew of tests.
He was initially diagnosed with a milk and egg allergy, but another checkup they had revealed a much more serious problem.
A brain scan showed that Cooper had a brainstem glioma.
Sudden onset of headaches, vomiting, and vision problems are common symptoms of a brainstem tumor in children.
While removing a brain stem tumor is the best outcome, many tumors are inaccessible and the patient will need chemotherapy to try and shrink the mass.
Mr Chahine became frustrated with the advice to ‘watch and wait’ to see if the tumor would develop.
“When my wife and I walked out of there, we didn’t really talk at first, but when we did, both with tears in our eyes, we agreed that no one else can touch our Cooper except this man.”
Mr Chahine said that Dr. Teo explained the real risks to the whole family, but also asked why the family was waiting.
He asked, ‘are you waiting for him to have a limp or a speech impediment?’ And he explained that once a child has a deficiency caused by a tumor, it will likely be permanent.
dr. Teo said he feels ‘frustrated’ and ‘helpless’ with patients still begging for his help despite restrictions
Quiron de Torrevieja Hospital (pictured above), near Alicante in Spain, is one of the hospitals where Dr. Teo has had surgery
“He explained that if a patient is 100 percent before surgery, they have the best chance of being 100 percent after surgery.”
Mr Chahine said that Dr. Teo didn’t claim to be perfect or never have any problems, but he explained why he was the most experienced surgeon in Australia to perform the type of brainstem surgery Cooper needed.
“His approach was to show us the number – all his real results, the number of surgeries he’s done.
“We were convinced.”