Famed “last chance” brain surgeon Dr. Charlie Teo performs surgeries on Australians in hospitals overseas after being subjected to restrictions in this country.
dr. Teo, who was placed under temporary restrictions a year ago following complaints about his work, has had surgery at least four times in Spain and South Africa, where he has been licensed to perform surgery.
The celebrated but controversial surgeon operated on two afflicted young Aussies, a Sydney woman and a Melbourne man, in Madrid, Spain.
He is also believed to have operated in Johannesburg and Switzerland.
Since then, it has been clear that the NSW Medical Council has been investigating Dr. Teo and is ready to inform the Spanish authorities of his concerns.
Celebrated but now limited brain surgeon Dr. Charlie Teo operated on a young Sydney woman, Monica Lopresti, in Madrid, Spain (Pictured Christina Lopresti with her daughter, Monica Lopresti)
dr. Teo operated on a tumor in the back of a young Melbourne man, Billy Baldwin, from whom he removed a brain tumor when the man was a boy, in Madrid in July (Pictured, Dr Teo, left, with Billy Baldwin)
The NSW Medical Board has obtained the medical license of Dr. Teo was subject to temporary restrictions following complaints about his work, including allegations of inappropriate conduct.
In July of this year, Dr. Teo, 64, saved the life of young Monica Lopresti in Madrid after an MRI scan revealed a shocking diagnosis of a benign cystic tumor in her brain.
“No one else was good enough to touch my child but Charlie,” her mother Christina Lopresti wrote in an emotional social media post praising Dr. Teo.
The celebrated but controversial surgeon operated on a young Sydney woman and a young Melbourne man in Madrid, Spain (pictured, Dr. Teo, left, during brain surgery in Spain this year)
Famous ‘last chance’ brain surgeon Dr. Charlie Teo performs surgeries on Australians in hospitals overseas after being restricted in this country
‘After I met him, I was impressed by his kind caring nature. Charlie agreed to operate and save my child’s life.”
Ms. Lopresti said the family had previously lost “a young husband” to GBM, which is glioblastoma, a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumor.
Sydney’s mother Christina Lopresti’s emotional post about helping Dr. Teo for her affected daughter
‘The only problem was that he couldn’t operate’ [on Monica] in Australia. He wasn’t allowed to,” said Mrs. Lopresti.
“Thanks to so many of you, many strangers who have helped us raise money to get Monica to Madrid. Yes you heard right. Madrid.
“Spain loves and adores him. They see the brilliance in him.’
Christina Lopresti, who described herself as a “mother widow,” raised $120,760 to fund brain surgery for her daughter, whom she described as “my best friend.”
Monica Lopresti’s condition is unknown.
In another case, Dr. Teo in July of a tumor in the back of a young man from Melbourne.
His father, Alistair Baldwin, paid Dr. Teo and other neurosurgeons at Hospital Universitario Fundacion Jimenez Diaz $70,000 to operate on his son, Billy. The age reported.
“It’s the last thing you worry about,” Mr. Baldwin said of the cost.
It is clear that Dr. Teo removed an aggressive brain tumor from Billy Baldwin when he was a child.
Christina Lopresti, who described herself as a “mother widow,” has raised $120,760 to fund brain surgery for her daughter Monica (pictured above, Ms. Lopresti’s fundraising page)
At the time, the family was advised to seek palliative care for Billy due to his anaplastic ependymoma.
He was deaf in one ear, but is now 20.
The NSW Medical Council contacted Dr. Teo after being warned that Dr. Teo worked abroad.
It would also consider alerting Spanish health authorities to restrictions on Dr. teo.
The NSW Medical Council ruled last August that Dr. Teo must now receive written support from a licensed neurosurgeon before performing certain types of brain tumor surgery.
Quiron de Torrevieja Hospital (pictured above), near Alicante in Spain, is one of the hospitals where Dr. Teo has had surgery
‘If the written statement does not support the practitioner in performing the procedure(s), the practitioner cannot recommend or perform the procedure’, the statement reads on his registration.
Spanish neurosurgeon Marcelo Galarza, who said he had performed two surgeries with Dr. Teo, said the Australian doctor was ‘the first surgeon’ in the operations
Spanish neurosurgeon Marcelo Galarza, who said he had performed two surgeries with Dr. Teo at Quiron de Torrevieja hospital near Alicante, confirmed that the Australian doctor had been granted a temporary permit in Spain.
“He’s generally the first surgeon, and most of the time I’m the assistant,” Galarza said. ‘The patients belong to Charlie’ [Teo].’
dr. Teo is also said to have operated on Italian and American patients in Spain.
In another case, Dr. Teo in 2022 a man in South Africa.
A woman from Pretoria said he had removed a dangerous brain tumor from her husband.
‘Dr. Charlie came to South Africa to work with Dr Chris Profyris to remove my husband’s brain stem glioblastoma,” she wrote.
“They did what no other surgeon wanted to do and we will be eternally grateful to these two surgeons. The best with such good hearts.’
One of the complaints about Dr. Teo belonged to a woman who had surgery by him in 2003, but later claimed he didn’t remove the tumor and had surgery on the wrong side of her brain.
dr. Teo has previously said that an enemy he dubbed “The Mole” was determined to portray him as a “money-hungry sexual predator” and sabotage his career.
dr. Charlie Teo could marry his model partner and former patient, Traci Griffiths, who is leaving subtle hints on her Instagram page that the couple are engaged
The pair have often been spotted together at public events, playing sports and wearing insanely funny costumes for fancy dress parties.
In September 2019, an allegation surfaced that Dr. Teo had told a nurse “while you’re down there…” as she bent to pick something up.
The neurosurgeon admitted he made the “bad joke” but said it was taken out of context and the nurse in question had been with him for 12 years, was like a “sister” and the couple always joked together .
The world-renowned surgeon was rumored to be engaged to model girlfriend Traci Griffiths after she was spotted wearing a ring on her finger last year.
dr. Teo denied the speculation, claiming the couple had no plans to get married.
Ms. Griffiths has stated otherwise by uploading photos of herself along with her brain surgeon boyfriend tagged “#ilovemyfiance” and “#myfiance.”
Daily Mail Australia approached Christina Lopresti for comment.