Widowed husband ‘hoodwinked, coerced’ into complaint by other doctors, Charlie Teo tells inquiry

The husband of a patient who never regained consciousness when Charlie Teo operated on her was ‘got to by my enemies’, Dr Teo has told an inquiry.

Dr Charlie Teo wipes away a tear as he arrives at the Health Care Complaints Commission Professional Standards Committee Inquiry on Monday morning with his fiancee Traci Griffiths.

Dr Charlie Teo has told a disciplinary hearing that he believes the husband of one of his patients was “hoodwinked” and “coerced” into making a complaint against him.

On the fifth day of his medical misconduct hearing Dr Teo said the husband of woman known as Patient A was influenced by other doctors to make a complaint about neurosurgeon, after his wife failed to regain consciousness following a resection of her brain tumour.

“My opinion is he was influenced by doctors,” he said.

“I truly believe he’s a genuine person who is genuinely destroyed by what’s happened and he’s been suggested to by many sources that it was Dr Teo’s fault for the outcome, not the tumour, not his wife’s decision for surgery.

An emotional Dr Charlie Teo embraces a supporter.

Dr Teo said he “did not charge” the patient the initial $35,000 that was discussed for the surgery.

“I never charged him any money, everyone saying I’m money hungry — I didn’t even charge him,” he told the hearing.

We had a good relationship and that has soured. I don’t know how, but I made assumptions he was got to by my enemies.”

Patient A’s husband complained about the surgery Dr Teo performed on his wife in 2018, after she was left in vegetative state before she died some months later.

He claims Dr Teo did not tell he and his wife all the risks associated with the removal of her high grade brain stem glioma in the consultation – and that the risk of “devastating outcome or death” was five per cent.

Dr Teo wipes away a tear.

She was told she had an average of six months to live and walked into surgery “cognitively sharp” and able to walk. However, she did not regain consciousness and was left in a vegetative state before she died a few months later.

The widow of a second woman – known as Patient B- also complained Dr Teo hadn’t explained all the risks, and “acted negligently”, cutting too much of his wife’s brain out, which also left her in a vegetative state.

During questioning on Monday the neurosurgeon admitted he removed too much of her brain, but that it was nothing more than “a mistake”.

‘NOT NEGLIGENCE, MAYBE IGNORANCE’

“The word negligent – I find that offensive, it wasn’t negligent, maybe ignorance on my part but certainly not negligence,” he said.

“I did the wrong thing, I obviously damaged her brain to make her as bad as she was post operative, but was it my intention? No.”

The Health Care Complaints Commission’s barrister Kate Richardson SC questioned Dr Teo as to whether he “pressured” the woman into consenting to surgery by telling her he was travelling to India the following week – and the only opportunity for surgery was the following day.

He told the inquiry he did not pressure the woman, and that he believed they had their “mind made up” about going ahead with the surgery before they stepped foot into his office for the consultation.

“I told them to go think before they signed the dotted line,” he said.

“My recollection is they made up their minds and I told them to go have lunch and think about it … Sometimes you have to try and force (patients) to think about it.”

The hearing was once again full of supporters, including cricketers Steve Waugh and Gavin Robertson.

‘WITHOUT HIM I WOULDN’T BE HERE’: SHOW OF SUPPORT

Dr Charlie Teo’s arrival at the fifth day of a medical hearing was full of emotion, with patients reuniting with the man who saved their lives.

Dr Teo was overcome with emotion as patients who travelled from as far as overseas chanted his name as he walked into his second day of evidence before the Health Care Complaints Commission’s Professional Standards Committee.

Dozens of people treated by the surgeon wore T-shirts and carried signs in support of the surgeon as he faces the potential of restrictions and sanctions on his practising certificate.

“Charlie Teo stands for hope,” one person called.

“We love you,” another yelled.

Mum-of-two Carmen Sanchez said without Dr Teo, her little girls wouldn’t have a mum.

“He saved my life, without him I wouldn’t be here,” she said.

Carmen Sanchez and Gavin Robertson. She says she owes her life to the controversial neurosurgeon. Picture: Supplied

Ms Sanchez also had an emotional reunion with Australian cricketer Gavin Robertson, who was operated on by Dr Teo on the same day three years ago.

“We didn’t know each other until eight minutes ago, but on May 13, 2019 Carmen was operated on at 6am and when Charlie finished operating on her he called me … and said he would take the golf ball out of my head at 5.10pm,” Mr Robertson said.

“We were just standing here and I asked if she had an operation … It’s very emotional.”

Kylie Randall, a single mum-of-two, carried a sign that said “I love you Charlie with all my brain”.

With the potential for more surgery in her future, Ms Randall worried about what could happen if Dr Teo were not able to operate.

“That’s why we are all here,” she said.

Loretta Cam came from Tamworth to show her support.

“This whole thing is ridiculous, they (the HCCC) will have blood on their hands if he can’t operate.

“Look at all the people he has saved, look at all the positive outcomes.”

Dr Charlie Teo is facing two complaints of “unsatisfactory conduct” related to the care of two female patients who had aggressive, late-stage brain cancers.

The husband of Patient A – a 41-year-old mother from Western Australia – claims Dr Teo did not tell he and his wife all the risks associated with the removal of her high grade brain stem glioma in the consultation – and that the risk of “devastating outcome or death” was five per cent.

She was told she had an average of six months to live and walked into surgery “cognitively sharp” and able to walk. However, she did not regain consciousness and was left in a vegetative state before she died a few months later.

Patient B’s husband claimed Dr Teo ”acted negligently” and removed “too much” of his wife’s brain.

Neurosurgery experts in the hearing were of the opinion Dr Teo did remove an “unorthodox” amount of healthy tissue – though one said that was normal practice for brain surgeons.

The husband of Patient B, a 61-year-old Victorian grandmother, also claimed he was not made aware of the risks of the surgery.

Dr Teo has denied any wrongdoing, and thanked his former patients for their support outside the hearing on Monday.

“Thank you very, very much for turning up, it’s overwhelming. This whole thing has been very emotionally taxing,” Dr Teo said to his crowd of supporters.

“No matter what happens to me personally I will pledge to you today that we will continue to fight for a cure and treatment for brain cancer.”