The fiercely private partner of neurosurgeon Charlie Teo has broken her silence to reveal the devastating consequences of his overseas exile after suffering a horrific accident.

Charlie Teo’s daughters blast Australian ban blocking ‘dying’ patients

Charlie Teo’s daughters have broken their silence to defend their neurosurgeon father…

Fiercely private Traci Griffiths, partner of neurosurgeon Charlie Teo, has broken her silence following a horrific accident that left her with a bloodied face, broken vertebrae and cracked skull.

Her anguish was deepened by Professor Teo’s absence. Effectively banned from practising in Australia, he was thousands of kilometres away in Cambodia, about to operate on a young Ethiopian boy, when the emergency call came through.

Griffiths opened up about the heavy fall at her home to news.com.au, giving an insight into the brutal reality of living life around the neurosurgeon’s predicament, not just for her, but for patients across the country.

“It’s the reality of Charlie being forced to work overseas. We make the most of it but sometimes it can be really hard. But it’s harder for his patients than it is for me,” Traci insisted.

Traci Griffiths, the partner of Charlie Teo was rushed to Wollongong Hospital after a horrible fall. Picture: Supplied

Traci, a former model, suffered severe lacerations to her head. Picture: Supplied
“Him working across the other side of the world is clearly not without its challenges. There are times when I need to speak to him urgently, like this time, and he might be on a plane, without Wi-Fi, or in surgery, so we do have to adapt around that.”

Prof Teo completed the surgery and took the first flight home to be with his partner of six years after the accident. He rushed to Wollongong Hospital before organising her transfer to Sydney.

Traci, now recovering at the couple’s Illawarra home, is “not looking for sympathy”, and doesn’t usually “speak out, even when I’m directly contacted or hounded”.

She underwent surgery. Picture: Supplied

Prof Teo rushed home to be by the side of his partner of six years. Picture: Supplied
“I’ve had plenty I’ve wanted to say, but I’ve always chosen not to feed into it or give more wind to something that already has a life of its own,” she said.

“I’ve stayed behind the scenes, kept my head down, and reminded myself it’s not about me, even though, of course, it still affects me in ways people don’t see.

“But watching this unfold, and watching what it’s doing to someone I care about deeply, I can’t stay silent in the same way anymore.”

Prof Teo is facing a potential permanent ban from practising medicine in Australia – which means he could receive a jail sentence for even offering medical advice to his own family members.

The couple are making most of the time they share together, now that Prof Teo operates abroad. Picture: Supplied

Traci Griffiths and Charlie Teo. Picture: Supplied
Under strict conditions since August 2021, Prof Teo exclusively revealed to news.com.au that he arrived home from working abroad last month to be greeted by auditors scrutinising his files. He believes he is now in hot water for giving medical advice to Australian patients in Australia, and for poor record keeping.

A NSW Health Care Complaints Commission Professional Standards Committee found Prof Teo guilty of “unsatisfactory professional conduct” in July 2023 after complaints about two of his cases.

Both involved “radical resections” of highly malignant brain tumours in 2018 and 2019 where the patients were slow to regain consciousness after the operations and both subsequently died.

The committee found Prof Teo operated on both patients where Australian expert witnesses felt the risk of surgery outweighed any potential benefits, and that he did not obtain adequate informed consent.

As a result, Prof Teo must get written approval from an independent neurosurgeon with at least 15 years’ experience who is chosen and approved by the Medical Council for two specific cases, recurrent malignant brain tumours and brainstem gliomas.

He must also keep a detailed log of every such patient, including their travel and the specifics of the case, and submit records monthly to the Medical Council for review.

Prof Teo opeerating in China on an Australian patient with Prof Ling Feng. Picture: Supplied,
Despite the restrictions, desperate Australians have reached out to Prof Teo on a daily basis – many travelling to China and other countries where he has performed lifesaving surgeries.

“What’s so hard to understand is how those things are being weighed against everything else, the thousands of lives he’s impacted, the time he’s given people when others couldn’t, the hope he’s provided in the darkest moments,” Traci said.

“And when it comes down to something like record keeping, it’s hard not to question priorities. Of course standards matter, they should, but when you look at the bigger picture, it feels so small compared to the lives that have been saved or extended.

“It leaves you wondering… what should matter more?”

Traci said it was not only hard to watch what’s being said about Prof Teo but “what’s being overlooked”.

If it is the “final nail in the coffin”… there’s a ripple effect that comes with it.

“It means patients who once saw him as their last hope no longer having that option. It means people who felt like they had nowhere else to turn being left without answers.

“It also raises a bigger question, what message does this send to other surgeons? When the line between taking necessary risks to help someone and being punished for it becomes blurred, it’s hard not to wonder whether people will start playing it safer.

An Australian patient had surgery performed by Prof Teo (centre right) in China. He operated on the most deadly of brain tumours – the kind of surgery that for him into strife in Australia. Picture: Supplied
“And if that happens, what does that mean for the future of care of patients in Australia, especially for patients who rely on bold decisions when there are no easy options?

“And despite all of this, he will still keep going. He will still operate. He will still help people, even if that means doing it on the other side of the world.

“This doesn’t just affect one person. It never did.”

Traci came into Professor Teo’s life when media attention was already intense.

“I’ve never really known a version of our relationship untouched by that pressure,” she said.

“In many ways, going through it together has made our bond even stronger.”

She describes Prof Teo as “incredibly driven and intelligent, but also very compassionate and grounded.” He possesses a “quiet strength” and is “not someone easily swayed by external opinions.”

The emotional impact of the public scrutiny is something Traci witnesses firsthand. “Yes, I do see the effects of it emotionally at times,” she said.

“When he is hurt by some of the negative things that are written about him or said publicly, he tends to channel it into action.”

She has seen him “deeply affected at times,” with “nights where the stress is very real and very physical.” Yet, his resilience shines through: “Even in those difficult moments, he finds a way to keep going, refocus, and continue doing what he believes is important. It’s one of the things I admire most about him.”

Every moment is precious. Picture: Supplied

Traci Griffiths gives a rare insight into life behind the scenes. Picture: Supplied
She said the night before a massive operation he stays grounded.

“I honestly don’t see him become nervous or unsettled. If anything, he seems more focused and completely in his element. He lives and breathes helping others, so there’s this calm, almost switched-on energy about him.

“He has an incredible ability to compartmentalise, when duty calls, he just shifts into that mode and goes.”

There are a “few small rituals” that have become part of his routine. “Sometimes he’ll wear his ‘lucky socks’ without overthinking it, and for particularly difficult cases he’ll often ask me to send him some healing light or positive energy.

“He’s very open-minded in that way and respectful of complementary approaches, even if his work is firmly grounded in science.”

Traci said he only frustration is that he “gives so much of himself and rarely switches off”.

“I admire that deeply, but as someone who loves him, I sometimes worry he pushes himself too hard and forgets to recharge.”

Their shared passions include a deep love for animals and charity work, with both being vegan.

“Even when we travel, we often spend much of our time volunteering or visiting animal sanctuaries wherever we are in the world,” she said.

The restrictions have meant less time together but that has made them “really intentional about the time we do have”.

“We appreciate it more, we’re more present, and we don’t take the small moments for granted.”

Traci, who travelled extensively during her modelling career, now prefers to be home, managing her wildlife rescues, caring for her three cats, and running her business, Flossophy.

Prof Teo’s overseas schedule is “incredibly full-on,” meaning even if she travelled with him, they wouldn’t have much time together.

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“At the end of the day, he’s only human. With everything he does, the travel, the workload, and the constant pressure that comes with being in the public eye, it can be relentless,” she said, revealing she often reminds him to prioritise his own well-being:

“He can’t keep giving to everyone else if he’s not taking care of himself too.”