Terry Russell

From IntactiWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Terry-russell.jpg
Terry Russell
Colleagues & benefactors:
Brian J. Morris
Edgar J. Schoen

The late Dr. Charles Terence Russell (1938 – 18 January 2022 in Brisbane, Australia[1]) was a GP[a 1] from Macgregor, QLD,[2] who had specialized in circumcision for boys since 1993.[3] Since then he has performed more circumcisions (20,000+) than anyone else in Australia.[4]

Professional misconduct

Dr. Russell was fined and reprimanded for opportunistically diagnosing and performing hundreds of tongue-tie surgeries while performing circumcisions during 1999. The Review committee found there were no clinical indications for the services. This is not mentioned in the section of Dr Russell on the Queensland Medical Board website, which implies he has a clean record. [5]

Order of Australia

Dr. Russell received an Order of Australia for breaking the world record by catching the largest black marlin.[6][7] It was stated on his website that he had received the Order of Australia, but not the reason. It is likely a reader could presume he received the order for research or even doing circumcision, when in fact it was for fishing.

Breach of EMLA guidelines

Dr. Russell experimented with the use of Eutectic mixture of Local Anesthetic (EMLA) cream on infants in 1993 onwards.[3] This was at a time the manufacturers of EMLA advised against the use of EMLA on infants.[8]

Parents are instructed to apply a generous amount of EMLA cream prior to surgery on their boy.[9]

Use of EMLA has a risk of potentially very serious Methaemoglobinaemia.[8]

EMLA is apparently the only anaesthetic used by Dr. Russell as no others are mentioned on his website.[3]

EMLA was found to be the least effective anaesthesia during infant circumcision.[10]

The pain caused by circumcision is extreme.

Breach of advertising regulations

Advertising regulations prohibit claims that use of a therapeutic device (in this case the Plastibell device) can prevent cancer or HIV.

His website formerly falsely claimed circumcision completely prevented cancer of the penis.

“ Cancer
Neonatal circumcision prevents cancer of the penis, which only affects uncircumcised males. (Australian Doctor, 1996)

His website also falsely claims that circumcision decreases the risk of HIV infection.[11]

Media presence

Dr. Russell has frequently promoted circumcision in the media: TV[12], radio[13], newspapers[14] etc.

After interviewing Dr. Russell journalists typically describe his Plastibell method as being completely painless, bloodless, and not involving any cutting.[15]

He has been reported as performing 5 circumcisions before 10am.[15] He typically charges from AU$400 to $700 per circumcision for a young baby (2009 figure).[2]

Business arrangements

ZAMBURY PTY. LTD., registered with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) in 1988[16], owns the business names FREEWAY MEDICENTER, CIRCUMCISION INFORMATION AND RESEARCH CENTRE (C.I.R.C.), DOCTORS GRAND PLAZA and CIRCUMCISION AUSTRALIA.[17] The registered business address for ZAMBURY PTY. LTD. is in Holland Park West, QLD 4121.[18]

RUSSELL MEDICAL CENTRE PTY. LTD. has been registered with the ASIC since 1993[19], and is located at MacGregor, QLD 4109.[20]

The "Contact Us - Melbourne" page of Russell Medical Centre includes the details "Circumwise Pty Ltd" and "Dr Sugantha Jagadeesan" with a Vermont, South Victoria 3133 address and link to "circumwise.com.au".[21]

CIRCUMWISE was registered as a business name with the ASIC on 17 Aug 2004 and cancelled on 17 Aug 2007.[22] CIRCUMWISE PTY LTD has been registered with the ASIC since 18 November 2004.[23]

The "contact us" page for circumwise.com.au names a Dr Anilkumar Patil.[24]

Both circumcision.com.au (Russell Medical Centre) and circumwise.com.au contain the sentences "The principal of Circumcision Australia is Dr Terry Russell OAM" and "Since starting the use of topical anaesthetic cream in 1993, the Circumcision Australia group of doctors have performed over 30,500 circumcisions using topical anaesthetic cream and the Plastic Circumcision Device" (without elaborating on the relationship between Circumcision Australia and the clinics) and list Circumcision Information & Research Centre as one of their "Industry Associations".

"Circumcision Australia" and "Circumcision Information & Research Centre" are, of course, business names owned by ZAMBURY PTY. LTD.

Research about Russell

The Intactivists of Australasia have collected more information about Russell as quoted below:

Russell is the President of the CAA [true in 2012 until 2017; IntactiWiki comment]. He is also the principal operator of ‘Circumcision Australia’, a small group of Doctors based in Brisbane and Melbourne who proudly claim that they have performed ‘over 30,500 circumcisions’ in the last 20 years. Russell himself has been performing circumcisions for more than 35 years. As such, Russell clearly has a significant financial vested interest in the promotion of circumcision.

In 2004, Russell was reprimanded, ordered to repay $4,488.88 and to undergo counseling by the Professional Services Review (PSR), an independent Commonwealth body established to ‘protect the integrity of the Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits schemes’. The PSR found that Russell ‘opportunistically diagnosed tongue-tie’ in patients referred to him for circumcisions. It found that 90% of such procedures performed by him (for which a Medicare rebate was claimed) were ‘inappropriate’ on the grounds that there were ‘no clinical indications for the services’ rendered.

Given all of the above, it appears valid to ask the following question: Is Russell’s stance on circumcision based on ‘public health advocacy’, or is it based on something else?[25]

Circumfetish

Russell was a member of the alleged medical organisation Circumcision Academy of Australia, driven by circumfetishist Brian J. Morris. He is currently listed as "immediate past President 2010–2017".

Insight

Dr. Russell participated in the Australian TV debate show "Insight: The First Cut". His statements pro circumcision can easily be read in the transcript right here.

Personal life

Dr. Russell is reported to have retired from the practice of medicine after more than 50 years of destroying boys' foreskins. He passed away in 2022.

See also

External links

Abbreviations

  1. ↑ REFweb General practitioner (GP), Wikipedia. Retrieved 26 July 2022.

References

  1. ↑ REFweb RUSSELL, Dr Terry (Charles Terrence), mytributes. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  2. ↑ a b REFweb (2008). Circumcision, Huggies Forum. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  3. ↑ a b c REFweb Brisbane Circumcision Practitioner. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  4. ↑ REFweb Secret boys business. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  5. ↑ http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/About/State-and-Territory-Medical-Board-Members/The-Queensland-Board-of-the-Medical-Board-of-Australia.aspx
  6. ↑ REFweb Search Australian Honours - Simple Search. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
    Quote: RUSSELL, Charles Terence George: Medal of the Order of Australia, 12 June 1989
  7. ↑ REFweb Lizard Island Game Fish Club Records. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
    Quote: M- 6kg (12lb) 166.92kg ( 368lb) World Sept 16, 1975 Terry Russell
  8. ↑ a b REFweb EMLA topical anaesthetic for neonatal circumcision. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  9. ↑ REFweb Preparing for the Proceedure. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  10. ↑ REFjournal Comparison of Ring Block, Dorsal Penile Nerve Block, and Topical Anesthesia for Neonatal Circumcision: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the American Medical Association. 24 December 1997; 278(24): 2157-2162. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  11. ↑ REFjournal Non-Circumcision a Legal Risk (archive URL). Australian Doctor. 20 September 1996; : 57. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  12. ↑ REFweb ‘Willy-nilly' circumcision debate in Tasmania. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  13. ↑ REFweb (13 July 2009). Snip decisions. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  14. ↑ REFnews TheAustralian (16 August 2008)."Not such an unkind cut, after all". Retrieved 2 May 2011.
    Quote: Evidence that circumcision helps fight disease is behind a re-evaluation of its benefits.
  15. ↑ a b REFjournal Switzer R. Health fear drives circumcision comeback. The Age. 13 May 2007; Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  16. ↑ http://www.circleaks.org/images/9/9e/ZAMBURY.pdf
  17. ↑ http://www.circleaks.org/images/a/a5/Business_Names_owned_by_ZAMBURY.pdf
  18. ↑ http://www.localbuzz.com.au/business/zambury-pty-ltd/241126
  19. ↑ http://www.circleaks.org/images/d/d6/RUSSELL_MEDICAL_CENTRE.pdf
  20. ↑ http://www.circumcision.com.au/Contact_Us/Brisbane.aspx
  21. ↑ http://www.circumcision.com.au/Contact_Us/Melbourne.aspx
  22. ↑ http://www.circleaks.org/images/b/b9/CIRCUMWISE_Business_Name.pdf
  23. ↑ http://www.circleaks.org/images/d/d0/CIRCUMWISE.pdf
  24. ↑ http://circumwise.com.au/index.php?page=contact-us
  25. ↑ REFweb (23 August 2012). Meet the Circumcision Academy of Australia. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
Retrieved from "https://en.intactiwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Terry_Russell&oldid=36983"