Controversial neurosurgeon Charlie Teo has admitted he may never operate in Australia again and revealed he was forced to drive Ubers due to the financial ramifications of a costly legal battle.
Dr. Teo, 65, awaits the outcome of an eight-day medical misconduct hearing at the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC), which is investigating two surgeries he performed that left patients with catastrophic brain injuries.
The patients, both female – referred to as Patient A and Patient B – had terminal brain tumors and had only weeks or months to live.
They were both left in a vegetative state and died shortly after Dr. Teo performed surgery to remove their tumors.
Dr. Teo said he was “not crying,” but legal fees and a mortgage had strained him financially, and as a result he was forced to ride Ubers to make ends meet.
Dr. Teo said he was ‘not crying’ but legal fees and a mortgage had left him financially strained, and as a result he was forced to ride Ubers to get by
In 2021, he was restrained by the NSW Medical Council from operating without another doctor’s approval following an investigation by the state’s Health Care Complaints Board.
“Most of the work I do abroad is voluntary and often I have to cover the travel costs myself,” he told the Daily Telegraph.
“It’s a small price to pay to do what I love to do and help those less fortunate at the same time.”
The embattled surgeon said the hearing “chipped” his character, destroyed his reputation and took away his livelihood.
Dr. Teo, 65, awaits the outcome of an eight-day medical misconduct hearing at the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC)
He also said it was ‘a sad day for Australian medicine’.
“If the medical governing bodies can destroy my ability to save lives, what does that say to someone in the future who wants to be an innovator or pioneer and push the boundaries for their patients?”
The hearing, which concluded Wednesday, examines the circumstances surrounding the two surgeries, including concerns that patients were being given false hopes about their chances of survival.
Dr. Teo has admitted that it was clear from the results of the surgeries that he was doing something wrong and he believed the results could have been better.
‘I did the wrong thing. I obviously did something wrong by the patient,” Dr. Teo on the investigation.
‘Did I intend to hurt her? Absolutely not.’
It was reported this week that Dr Teo could not get the public support of even one Australian neurosurgeon as he desperately tried to defend his character and medical practice.
“I think they don’t want to be seen as an advocate for Charlie Teo because it has polarized the neurosurgical community,” he said.
The embattled surgeon said the misconduct hearing “chipped” his character, destroyed his reputation and took away his livelihood
Past hearings have drawn large crowds of supporters, including former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh and boxer Anthony Mundine.
The former Australian cricket captain attended the hearing on Wednesday and described Dr Teo as a ‘good guy and a great Australian’.
Both of the patients’ husbands told the study that they had been given the impression by Dr. Teo that the women had a good chance of seeing a significant improvement in their condition.
“We never got into the discussion that things could go wrong,” said one of the spouses.
“Charlie Teo told my wife… if she didn’t have surgery on Tuesday, she’d be dead by Friday.
“That’s why my wife decided she wanted the surgery.”
Allegations against Dr. Teo include failing to properly inform patients about the risks of surgery, failing to obtain proper patient consent, slapping one of the patients in the face, and using unprofessional language during consultations.
The committee insists that Dr Teo be reprimanded and that further conditions be placed on his medical certificate.
A four-member Professional Standards Committee deliberates on a decision.