Surgeons Charlie Teo and Henry Woo face off over private fees
Dr Charlie Teo has legendary status and he is a hero to many, but questions about his fees, which are often in excess of $100,000 has pitted two brilliant Australian doctors against each other, with Dr Henry Woo asking why Dr Teo can’t work in the public system.
NSW
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It started with a tweet that questioned the private surgical costs of a high profile neurosurgeon and has led to two brilliant Australian doctors facing off with threats of legal action.
Sydney University Professor of Surgery and specialist urologist Dr Henry Woo tweeted on May 6 asking why high profile neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo did not operate on a seven-year-old girl with a brain tumour in the public system for free, as opposed to charging over $100,000.
Bella Howard’s father, Gene Howard told The Sunday Telegraph he was unemployed at the time and had half a day to come up with $50,000 to secure Bella’s brain surgery.
Dr Woo asked on Twitter: “Why isn’t this surgery being performed in the public hospital system if the patient is from NSW? Dr Teo does have a public hospital appointment at Sydney Children’s Hospital. Is Dr Teo’s personal fee really $60,000?”
A year earlier, Dr Woo had asked on Twitter why so many crowd-funding campaigns — more than 100 — were specifically for Dr Teo operations.
Dr Teo is a brilliant neurosurgeon with a cult-like status, earned from doing brain surgery on those who have been told there is nothing more that can be done. He is seen as a miracle worker who saves lives, or buys time, when all hope is gone.
Although Dr Teo declined to be interviewed for this story, on the Charlie Teo Foundation website he describes himself as “some sort of elite athlete”.
“When you look at those athletes, one thing that really comes across is this amazing focus. This amazing drive to win … And that’s what I try to do to prepare for surgery. I tell myself this patient is my loved one,” he states on the website.
“I’m going to treat this patient like they are a member of my own family. What would I do if it was a family member? I’d make sure everything was optimum. I’d make sure my personal state was optimum, the people around me had the same mentality, my team was the best and my equipment was the best. That’s what I do for every patient.”
Now Dr Teo’s lawyers have demanded Dr Woo take down the tweets and issue an apology. Dr Woo has refused. He maintains the questions are valid and in the public interest.
“We shouldn’t have people in a country like Australia resorting to asking for donations from strangers to help pay for care,” Dr Woo said.
“It concerns me because anything that is urgent or serious can be done in the public system, there is no urgent surgery that can’t be done in the public system.”
During research for this story it was confirmed Dr Teo can operate at Sydney Children’s Hospital where he holds an appointment. Doctors said he is welcome to, and simply has to ask.
In a statement, Dr Teo’s assistant refuted the claim.
“Dr Teo does not have operating privileges at SCH. Dr Teo’s longstanding policy offers any public patient in Australia the opportunity to ask their local neurosurgeon to invite Dr Teo to their public hospital for Dr Teo to undertake their brain surgery under Medicare.”
Monika Smirk knows why people pay top dollar for Dr Teo.
Her daughter Amelia (Millie) Lucas has a brain tumour and doctors in Perth suggested palliative care two years ago.
They turned to Dr Teo in desperation, who removed the tumour last year. It grew back this year and again doctors recommended palliative care.
The family once again crowd-funded another $100,000 required to reoperate. Millie is still alive and now back at school.
“She should be dead. In February 2016 she was given 12 months, so it’s been four and a half years so far. We didn’t have a choice because Perth Children’s Hospital wouldn’t operate. Charlie would and that is why she is still here, because of that man,” Ms Smirk said.
It was Millie’s case that sparked the first Twitter storm that led to Dr Teo defending himself on television. claiming he only took $8000 for his surgical fee and the rest went to the private hospital and the team.
But Dr Woo said it highlights a serious issue close to his heart. Dr Woo, a staunch egalitarian, and public school kid, grew up in Marsfield and graduated dux from North Ryde High School.
“If it is not being done in the public system we have to ask why? Is there a roadblock, or an access issue, or is it because the treatment has not been approved or not considered a proven treatment,” Dr Woo said.
Dr Woo was born in Seoul Korea in 1962 and moved to Australia with his parents shortly after. His father, a scientists for the CSIRO, instilled in him that education was the way to a better life.
Thanks to Gough Whitlam, university education was free back then.
“I never forget and to this day I remain grateful for that education, otherwise it would have been really hard. I’m grateful to this day so I have a strong need to give back and do pro bono work and that is the way I have been brought up,” he said.
Despite the free education at university, entering the field of surgery was very much still based on the old school tie system.
“That still made a difference in the surgical spheres. I remember many a lonely time in the tea room where all the bosses were talking about the rugby and the regatta and private schools and I would have nothing to talk about, I was a loner in a way because I had nothing to contribute to these conversations and knew nothing about what they were talking about, I was a rugby league yobbo,” he said.
Dr Woo worked as a urological surgeon in the public system at Westmead Hospital before moving on to become a Professor of Surgery and Discipline of Surgery Head at the Sydney Adventist Hospital Clinical School of the University of Sydney.
“I regularly treat patients without any out of pocket expense and do it for free if they are financially disadvantaged,” he said, adding he knew of very few fellow surgeons whose patients had to crowd-fund for surgery.
“Yes there are lots of people crowd-funding for various things and a lot of it, most of it. is to help them survive, they have no income, they are sick, they can’t work, but there is a disproportionate number crowd-funding for neurosurgery and a disproportionate number for one surgeon.
“I have no personal vendetta against Charlie Teo, he is quite gregarious and very popular. It’s just that one question, why can’t these operations be performed in the public hospital?”
A grateful Ms Smirk said it comes down to hospital budgets.
“It’s the public system, they have a budget and they pick and choose who they want to keep alive, that is what I think. The only reason we went to Charlie is because they would not operate on her. The neurosurgeons hate Charlie and I think it comes down to money and budgets.”
A source within the public system said Dr Teo “can request to operate in any public hospital, he does not need to be invited, if he requested it, it would be considered.”
Originally published as Surgeons Charlie Teo and Henry Woo face off over private fees
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