Surgeon Charlie Teo hits back at inappropriate conduct claims
Renowned neurosurgeon Charlie Teo has rubbished claims of misconduct made against him by unnamed doctors, releasing a statement detailing his disappointment in the “staggering number of inaccuracies” contained within the report.
NSW
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Neurosurgeon Charlie Teo today said he was “surprised and tremendously disappointed” by a news story attacking his professionalism and accusing him of inappropriate conduct.
“The publisher has deliberately misstated and misrepresented information in the public domain and has failed to fairly report information that has been conveyed to them over the last several days,” he said in a statement on his website.
The article in The Sydney Morning Herald interviewed a number of unnamed doctors who accused the flamboyant surgeon of a number of inappropriate actions and gestures while operating.
It also had quotes from unnamed neurosurgeons who claimed he had charged excessive fees and had performed unnecessary surgeries.
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“I am incredibly surprised and tremendously disappointed by the article published today in The Sydney Morning Herald,” Dr Teo said in the statement on his Charlie Teo Foundation website.
“Particularly disturbing was the evident lack of legitimate research, the use of nameless sources, the staggering number of inaccuracies and ultimate failure to provide a fair and balanced story.”
Dr Teo’s mobile was switched off today and a receptionist at his rooms said he was operating overseas and was uncontactable.
The high-profile surgeon has been a regular in the news with reports in June that he faced possible disciplinary action after multiple complaints were sent to the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission.
He also split from the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation he founded, claiming administration costs had become too high. The Foundation had to move the night of its annual ball after Dr Teo’s new foundation announced it would be having a ball on the same night.
Dr Teo said the article today had “deliberately misstated and misrepresented information in the public domain and has failed to fairly report information that has been conveyed to them over the last several days.”
He said his legal team would be reviewing the material that had been “inaccurately and in such a sensational and biased manner.”
And he re-affirmed his pride in his work. “I am not the first person to be subjected to this type of reporting and I will not be the last. I am immensely proud of everything that I have achieved professionally as a surgeon in Australia and Internationally, and of the work of the Charlie Teo Foundation.”
Dr Teo has the unquestioning support of many of his patients and their families. “I have been inundated with messages of reassurance and for this I am grateful. Rest assured, I will continue the fight against brain cancer, a fight I have dedicated my life to,” he said in his statement.