Saturday 13 August 2022 03:49 AM Brain surgeon Charlie Teo operating in Spain and South Africa because of ... trends now
Famous 'last chance' brain surgeon Dr Charlie Teo is performing operations on Australians in overseas hospitals after being restricted in this country.
Dr Teo, who was placed under temporary restrictions a year ago after complaints over his work, has operated at least four times in Spain and South Africa where he has gained a permit to conduct surgery.
The celebrated but controversial surgeon operated on two stricken young Aussies, a Sydney woman and a Melbourne man in Madrid, Spain.
He is also believed to have operated in Johannesburg and in Switzerland.
Since then it is understood the Medical Council of NSW has enquired into Dr Teo's overseas surgeries and is poised to alert Spanish authorities of its concerns.
Celebrated but now-restricted 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 tumour in the back of a young Melbourne man, Billy Baldwin, from whom he removed a brain tumour when the man was a boy, in July in Madrid (Pictured, Dr Teo, left, with Billy Baldwin)
Temporary restrictions were been placed on Dr Teo's medical licence by the NSW Medical Council after complaints were made about his work, including allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
In July this year, Dr Teo, 64, attempted to 'save the life' of young Monica Lopresti in Madrid, after an MRI scan returned a shock diagnosis of a benign cystic tumour in her brain.
'No-one else was good enough to touch my child but Charlie,' wrote her mother Christina Lopresti 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 a brain operation in Spain this year)
Famous 'last chance' brain surgeon Dr Charlie Teo is performing operations on Australians in overseas hospitals after being restricted in this country
'After meeting him I was in total awe of 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 tumour.
Sydney mum Christina Lopresti's emotional post over Dr Teo's help for her stricken daughter
'The only problem was he couldn't operate [on Monica] in Australia. He wasn't allowed to,' Ms Lopresti said.
'Thanks to so many of you, many strangers who helped us raise money to get Monica to Madrid. Yes you heard right. Madrid.
'Spain love him and adore him. They see the brilliance in him.'
Christina Lopresti, who described herself as a 'widowed mum', raised $120,760 to fund brain surgery for her daughter, whom she described as 'my best friend'.
The condition of Monica Lopresti is not known.
In another case Dr Teo operated on a tumour in the back of a young Melbourne man in July.
His father, Alistair Baldwin, paid Dr Teo and other neurosurgeons at Hospital Universitario Fundacion Jimenez Diaz $70,000 to operate on his son,
