Charles Teo

Charles "Charlie" Teo AM^[1] (born 24 December 1957) is a high profile Australian neurosurgeon.

Neurosurgery

Teo trained in Sydney, but worked for a decade in the United States, where he still teaches. His sub-speciality is paediatric neurosurgery. He is the director of the Centre for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery at Prince of Wales Hospital.^[2] and the founder of Cure For Life Foundation.^[3]

Teo has received much media attention^[4][5] as something of a miracle worker, but some neurosurgeons have criticised him as being too radical, offering "false hope" to patients who are believed to have an incurable brain cancer or a brain tumour that is dangerously located.^[6] Teo has resigned from the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia and argues that delaying the death of patients with an incurable brain cancer is worthwhile if it is their wish and that patients who seek his surgery are determined to live with a quality of life, despite being informed the surgery itself carries a sometimes considerable risk.^[2][4]

A story about Teo and one of his patients, the young pianist Aaron McMillan, is detailed in the book Life in his Hands by Susan Wyndham.^[7] A patient of Charlie Teo's, Sally White, has written of her experiences in Three Quotes From A Plumber: How a Second Opinion Changed the Life of a Woman with a Brain Tumour^[8][9] Teo has also been featured in several TV programs including ABC's Q&A, Good Medicine, Sixty Minutes,^[10][11] Last Chance Surgery, Australian Story^{[12][13][14][15][16]} and Enough Rope with Andrew Denton.^[6]

Teo gave the 50th Anniversary Errol Solomon Meyers Memorial Lecture at the University of Queensland in August 2007.^[17] In July 2009 and 2011, Teo was a keynote speaker at the Australian Medical Students' Association National Convention, held respectively in Brisbane and Sydney, Australia.

Personal life

Teo was born to Chinese Singaporean parents who immigrated to Australia. He went to high school at The Scots College and graduated with Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of New South Wales.^[2]

He is married to Genevieve Teo (née Agnew); the couple have four daughters.^[2]

Notable patients

• Jane McGrath^[18]
• Aaron McMillan
• Dr Chris O'Brien^[19]
• Stan Zemanek^[20]

References

1. ^ "Teo, Charles". Search Australian Honours. Australian Government. http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1143516&search_type=quick&showInd=true. Retrieved 26 January 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Life in his hands". The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 March 2003. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/09/1047144875103.html. 
3. ^ "Life in his hands". The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 March 2003. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/09/1047144875103.html. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Australian Story – The Trouble with Charlie". Australia: ABC. 26 August 2003. http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2003/s932241.htm. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
5. ^ "The outsider". Sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au. 27 May 2007. http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=269256. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "ENOUGH ROPE with Andrew Denton – episode 185: Dr Charlie Teo (15/09/2008)". Australia: ABC. 15 September 2008. http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s2364518.htm. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
7. ^ Swan, Norman (5 April 2008). "Life in his Hands Susan Wyndham". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/the-right-to-die-with-eyes-wide-open/story-e6frg8no-1111115944693. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
8. ^ "Three Quotes From a Plumber". Sally White. http://www.sallywhite.com.au/. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
9. ^ "Three Quotes From A Plumber > Book Review". Southaustralia.barinya.com. http://www.southaustralia.barinya.com/book-reviews/book.php?id=44. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
10. ^ "The outsider". Sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au. 27 May 2007. http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/stories/peteroverton/269256/the-outsider. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
11. ^ "Never say die". Sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au. 29 April 2007. http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/stories/peteroverton/263728/never-say-die. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
12. ^ "Australian Story :: The Trouble with Charlie". Australia: ABC. 8 February 2010. http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2003/s933042.htm. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
13. ^ "Australian Story :: His Hour Upon the Stage". Australia: ABC. 8 February 2010. http://www.abc.net.au/austory/specials/houruponthestage/default.htm. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
14. ^ "Australian Story :: Dzung's Anatomy". Australia: ABC. 8 February 2010. http://www.abc.net.au/austory/specials/dzungsanatomy/default.htm. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
15. ^ "Australian Story :: Playing for Time". Australia: ABC. 8 February 2010. http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2006/s1751423.htm. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
16. ^ "Australian Story :: To the Test & A Small World". Australia: ABC. http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2004/s1136463.htm. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
17. ^ Academic VP. "University of Queensland Medical Society – 2007 E.S. Meyers Memorial Lecture". UQMS. http://uqms.org/content/view/213/1/. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
18. ^ "Jane McGrath had 'amazing smile, attitude', says Dr Charles Teo". The Daily Telegraph (Australia). 23 June 2008. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/jane-mcgrath-had-amazing-smile-attitude-says-dr-charles-teo/story-e6freuy9-1111116708112. Retrieved 29 January 2011. 
19. ^ Chris O'Brien's autobiography "Never Say Die" www.harpercollins.com.au
20. ^ Leech, Graeme (12 July 2007). "Obituary: Stan Zemanek". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/obituary-stan-zemanek/story-e6frg6n6-1111113941873. Retrieved 29 January 2011. 

External links

• The Centre For Minimally Invasive Neorosurgery
• Charles Teo's professional biography
• Cure For Life Foundation
• TV interview with Andrew Denton
• Resume summary
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hATwd6erMRY] UNSWTV profile

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Name	Teo, Charles
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Date of birth	24 December 1957
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