Few medical professionals divide opinion as fiercely as neurosurgeon Charlie Teo.
The 65-year outdated is legendary or notorious, relying on who you ask.
To his fiance and supporters, he sees the perfect in folks and desires solely to offer determined sufferers extra time with their family members.
To his critics, he performs surgical procedures no-one ought to try and sells false hope.
In a five-day listening to earlier than the Health Care Complaint Commission’s Professional Standards Committee, Dr Teo claimed he was among the many greatest on this planet at what he does and these superior expertise allowed him to know issues different surgeons who gave proof can’t.
Ironically, he claimed his unrivalled expertise is the very purpose he’s in a precarious place; one the place he faces complaints of alleged misconduct in the direction of two terminal sufferers who died after his “catastrophic” operations.
In his view, if anybody was going to have the ability to save them, it could doubtless be him. His authorized group claimed he gave an opportunity of extended life to terminal sufferers that different surgeons have been unwilling to threat.
But devastated family members who gave proof claimed that probability was far smaller than he offered.
And to rub salt in a wound, they alleged the true probability of a catastrophic final result was by no means defined to them.
One man claimed in proof on the listening to his late spouse was rushed into agreeing to the process, allegedly being advised by Dr Teo: “You’ll be dead by f***ing Friday” with out it.
These allegations are merely false, Dr Teo claimed to the listening to. In abstract, his proof was this:
He all the time defined the dangers and their probability. These sufferers have been terminal, however his hope was to not save them, it was to delay their life. Yes, they tragically ended up in a vegetative state and later died. If the sufferers have been prepared to take the possibility – maybe their solely probability – so was he.
He claimed he by no means assured the surgical procedures wouldn’t finish terribly. He solely “instilled hope” about one affected person probably residing one other eight years as soon as they’d agreed to the operation, as he did actually have sufferers with comparable tumours who went on to dwell years longer.
It is simple to see why this man sparks such emotional debate.
According to his fiance Traci Griffiths, who was a former affected person of Dr Teo’s earlier than the pair started relationship 11 years later – his motives have been clear.
She advised news.com.au: “Charlie always likes to see the best in people. He is one of those people that gives everybody the benefit of the doubt.”
While Ms Griffiths was reluctant to talk extra to the media whereas the listening to was ongoing, her unwavering help of her accomplice was clear.
Each day, the couple arrived to the listening to hand-in-hand. Sitting within the public seats, she would shake her knee nervously at instances and gave her pal a relieved look when Dr Teo was lastly capable of take the witness stand on Thursday.
Dr Teo’s household have been additionally a powerful help presence. His daughter teared up throughout her father’s proof as she rocked her child in a pram.
She advised news.com.au she didn’t need to remark for this story as a result of it was in regards to the sufferers and the various lives her father had saved.
And it was true many of those sufferers wished to be heard.
The dozens of Dr Teo followers who arrived on the primary day of the listening to with placards dwindled to a core group of family members and mind most cancers survivors by the fourth day.
Among their tales was Scott Tomlinson’s, who shared his journey with news.com.au outdoors the listening to.
Thirteen years in the past, the 26-year-old was recognized with a terminal Ependymoma – a mind tumour that begins within the cells that line the passageways the place the mind is nourished. It was in a devastating spot – rising into and pushing on the mind stem.
One surgeon advised him he had solely ever achieved the operation twice. One affected person died and the opposite was left fully paralysed apart from the eyes. Another surgeon “couldn’t say where this thing is growing from,” he stated.
But “within 10 minutes” of seeing Dr Teo, Mr Tomlinson stated he was advised precisely the way it was rising, methods to take it out, and that there have been critical dangers of paralysis and lack of sure features.
“If you’re going to die, what do you have to lose?” Mr Tomlinson requested.
“Eventually it’s gonna get you, so you just have to do it”.
The operation value a good-looking sum, however Mr Tomlinson didn’t specify how a lot, saying his dad and mom helped him out.
Of course, not everybody has the luxurious of affording an costly surgical procedure – however Dr Teo advised news.com.au he “did not even charge” one of many two sufferers who’re the topic of the listening to.
A decade after the surgical procedure, Mr Tomlinson was left with left face paralysis, double imaginative and prescient and stability points, however he stated this was a small value to pay for his life.
“Charlie’s my hero,” he stated.
Joanna McNiven had the same story.
When she saved shedding her reminiscence from even probably the most primary duties, she found she had terminal Leptomeningeal illness, a most cancers within the membranes that encompass the mind and spinal twine.
Overwhelmed and heartbroken, Ms McNiven couldn’t come to phrases with news from different neurosurgeons that nothing might be achieved to delay her life. That was till she met Dr Teo, who she stated advised her:
“You could die during the operation, or straight after you might come out but not be able to walk, you might come out and not be able to talk or hear or move or you might not have any of that at all”.
But as she stood along with her signal that learn, “Teo saved me,” it was clear the surgical procedure was successful.
“Before the surgery they were giving me two months – it has been two years,” she stated.
“I feel very strongly about him (Dr Teo). People should have the choice to do the procedure and take that risk if they’re prepared to”.
As the listening to prepares to wrap up Tuesday, those that love or dislike Dr Teo will doubtless be anxiously anticipating the judgment.
They could also be ready weeks.
There are fewer points extra advanced and high-stakes than these of life or demise. And on the coronary heart of the advanced concern lie many questions. Among them:
What degree of threat is suitable for intricate mind stem surgical procedure?
At what level do the potential advantages outweigh the dangers?
How does one guarantee this threat is totally understood by sufferers and their households earlier than they make a very powerful choice of their life – one which no-one deserves to must make?
And among the many most contentious questions:
Did Dr Teo act negligently to the 2 sufferers by promoting false hope for an operation that was prone to finish terribly and by not conveying this clearly to them, as argued by the HCCC’s authorized group?
Or was it, as given in Dr Teo’s proof, a case of somebody with extra expertise in mind stem surgical procedures than “almost anyone in the world” who pushed the boundaries most in his discipline wouldn’t, however who made it clear to the sufferers it might finish in tragedy.
Some could also be firmly on one aspect of the fence and others could also be sitting hesitantly above.
But finally, solely the judging panel can determine.
Source: www.news.com.au
