Henderson sent Duntsch's picture to the University of Tennessee to determine whether he actually had a degree from that institution and received confirmation that Duntsch, in fact, did. [15], Duntsch joined Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano (now Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Plano) as a minimally invasive spine surgeon with a salary of $600,000 per year, plus bonuses. He refused to acknowledge anything was wrong, hindering the, This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 04:48. Death. An investigator by trade and nature, Passmore started digging into Dr. Christopher Duntsch. He later told Glidewell that it was clear Duntsch had tried to kill him. He declared bankruptcy after listing debts of over $1 million. Donald Duntsch was a gridiron football standout in Montana, and Christopher was determined to follow in those footsteps. Had Duntsch been fired, Baylor Plano would have been required to report him to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), which is intended to flag problematic physicians. Advertisements. Duntsch severed his vertebral nerve, his vocal cords, cut a hole in his esophagus, sliced through an artery, and mistook part of his neck muscle as a tumor. As a result of the 2017 trial, Duntsch was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. She witnessed Duntsch put on his lab coat and make his rounds the following morning as if nothing had happened. He is not eligible for parole until 2045, when he will be 74 years old. She had suffered from lower back pain for years and was referred to Duntsch by her pain management doctor. He performed only one surgery with the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute. [16] Kirby also recalled that Duntsch's skills in the operating room left much to be desired; as Kirby put it, "he could not wield a scalpel".[4]. His pain management specialist advised against an operation but referred him to a neurosurgeon named Christopher Duntsch. Victim of Real-Life 'Dr. Death' Believes There Are Others - Yahoo! Before the surgery, Kirby related that Duntsch said he was the best spine surgeon in Dallas and the only spine surgeon trained in minimally invasive spine surgery. Duntsch had removed part of his femoral nerve. Kirby was shocked; he called the owner of University General and warned him that Duntsch would hurt someone, and the hospital would be over. The patient was Mary Efurd coming in for a second operation. While Kirby was repairing Troy, he uncovered that Duntsch had pinned her esophagus under a plate near her spine and poked holes in her trachea. The board called in veteran neurosurgeon Martin Lazar to review the case. It was then that Christopher decided to switch his career to medicine. There are many sick people in the world, but Duntsch takes the cake for me. Dr. Death is based on the podcast of the same name, produced by Wondery. There are a lot of explanations proposed for why the real-life subject of Peacock's "Dr. Death" limited series, neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duntsch (played by Joshua Jackson), maimed and . On December 30, 2011, Duntsch operated on Lee Passmore. The last charge was for the maiming and paralyzing of Efurd. You'd like to think . Lee Passmore was thirty-seven and worked as a field agent for the Collin County medical examiner. Podcast de Dr Death: La verdadera historia de Christopher Duntsch que Duntsch is a former Dallas neurosurgeon who, through . It told the unfortunately true story of Doctor Christopher Duntsch, who was eventually sentenced to life in prison for maiming an elderly patient. Christopher Duntsch is a former neurosurgeon known by his nickname Dr. Death or Dr. D. The Montana native got his nickname for his malpractice while working at hospitals in Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Duntsch's trial has been called a precedent-setting case, as it's the first time that a physician has been convicted on criminal charges for actions in the course of their medical work and malpractice involving botched surgery. "He said the patient died from having an allergic reaction to the anesthesia." Christopher Daniel Duntsch (born April 3, 1971)[1] is a former American neurosurgeon who has been nicknamed Dr. D. and Dr. Death[2] for gross malpractice resulting in the maiming of several patients' spines and two deaths while working at hospitals in the DallasFort Worth metroplex. One day, he happened to see a fax come in to the medical examiner's office. Young had family in Dallas and decided she would go with him if he picked that city. In 2017, Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of maiming one of his patients. South Hampton Community Hospital in Dallas (now University General Hospital). He was left with only one vocal cord, permanent damage to his esophagus, and partial paralysis on his left side. To see the rest of Dr. Christopher Duntsch's murder and maiming spree, and the fight to stop him, you'll need to purchase Peacock premium. He was told he would never be able to walk again. However, red flags surfaced early on, as nurses wondered if Duntsch was under the influence of drugs while on duty. After interviewing dozens of Duntsch's patients and their survivors, prosecutors concluded that Duntsch's actions were indeed criminal, and nothing short of imprisonment would prevent him from practicing medicine again. However, by the time he met Young, Duntsch was over $500,000 in debt. Thankfully, this ended up being Dr. Christopher Duntsch's last operation. When Henderson opened the freshly made incisions on her, he was appalled. [19][16] Kirby claimed that it looked as if Duntsch had tried to decapitate Glidewell and contended that such a botched surgery "has not happened in the United States of America" before. Gaps in medical, legal systems may allow other 'Dr. Deaths' to practice D MagazineChristopher Duntsch a.k.a. Nicknamed "Dr. Death," the story of Duntsch's egregious medical crimes and the healthcare system that failed so many by allowing him to practice received the podcast treatment in 2018 from Wondery, the team behind "Dirty John.". Young said that Morgan visited often. At the time, Duntsch was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 patients in less than two years before the Texas Medical Board revoked his license. Dr. Death: La verdadera historia detrs de la nueva serie sobre el ex Dr Death, un nuevo programa que llegar a Peacock el jueves (15 de julio), se basa en la historia de la vida real de Christopher Duntsch, un ex neurocirujano que era, como dijo un famoso titular de ProPublica, "tan malo que era criminal".. Joshua Jackson interpreta a Duntsch, que ahora tiene 50 aos y cumple cadena perpetua despus de ser condenado en 2017 por mutilar a uno de sus . Dr. Rimlawi called Baylor Plano and advised them against continuing a relationship with Christopher Duntsch, but this fell to deaf ears. In my opinion, we had a serial killer in our medical community, Dr. Randall Kirbysays of Christopher Duntsch in "Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story.". As those watching the show know, Christopher was dubbed "Dr. Death" in D Magazine . Finally, Dr. Kirby received a call from Hassan Chahadeh. He moved in with his parents in Colorado and filed for bankruptcy, claiming around one million dollars in debt. Ratings for Dr. Christopher D. Duntsch, Inactive. "It's on the butt cheek of his scrubs. The Legislature not only puts the burden of proof on the plaintiff instead of the defendant in medical malpractice cases, but it also allows hospitals to keep information about doctors confidential. He secured investments in Discgenics from local spine surgeons, including Dr. Robertson and Dr. Kevin Foley, a prominent Memphis neurosurgeon Duntsch spent a year training under as part of the surgery fellowship at the Semmes-Murphey Clinic. Former neurosurgeon sentenced for purposely maiming patients She was moved to the ICU and died due to blood loss. Glidewell was reportedly still suffering the ill effects of Duntsch's operation years later and has undergone more than 50 procedures to correct the damage. In April 2015, Duntsch was arrested again for shoplifting $887 worth of merchandise from a Dallas Walmart. Wendy Young had just given birth to their son and lived there with him. [16][24] Henderson described Duntsch's surgery as an "assault", and concluded that Efurd would have been bedridden had the salvage surgery not been performed. [9][10], Duntsch had severed Brown's vertebral artery, and refused to abort despite the massive blood loss. Henderson and Kirby feared that Duntsch could move and theoretically get a medical license in another state. Having exhausted his football eligibility, Duntsch decided to switch to a career in medicine. In 2005, about a third of the way through his residency, department chairman Dr. Jon Robertson appointed Duntsch program director of the school's tissue bank. The sponge triggered a severe blood-borne infection that caused Glidewell to become septic. Dr. Death in surgery. This time on 53-year-old Mary Efurd. No one can pay to remove ratings. In 2014, he developed syringomyelia, a painful condition that causes fluid-filled cysts on the spinal cord. The surgery was scheduled for December 30, 2011. Morguloff had become addicted to the pain killers being prescribed to him by this time. executive producer explains how Christopher Duntsch could have avoided prison. Duntsch filed a patent for the technology, and he listed himself as one of the inventors even though he had not discovered it. Christopher Duntsch | True Crime Buzz | Oxygen Official Site [9], In March 2014, three former patients of Duntsch's Mary Efurd, Kenneth Fennel, and Lee Passmore filed separate federal lawsuits against Baylor Plano, alleging the hospital allowed Duntsch to perform surgeries despite knowing that he was a dangerous physician. Duntschs career started off bright. [4], Early in his tenure at Baylor Plano, Duntsch made a poor impression on his fellow surgeons. Baylor Regional Medical Center in Plano (now Baylor Scott and White Medical Center - Plano). Christopher Duntsch is currently imprisoned at the O.B. Summers asked Duntsch to fix his chronic neck pain from a high school football injury that had gotten worse after a car accident. August 28, 2013, 2:01 . Christopher Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison in February 2017 for his heinous acts. [26][4], After leaving Dallas Medical Center, Duntsch received privileges at South Hampton Community Hospital in Dallas and also took a job at an outpatient clinic named Legacy Surgery Center (now Frisco Ambulatory Surgery Center) in Frisco. by Saul Elbein. He will not be eligible for parole until 2045, when he will be 74-years-old. On top of this, he misspelled both Kukekov and Ignatova's names. Duntsch was suspected of having used cocaine the night before the operation. [33][34] The indictments were made four months before the statute of limitations were to run out. Baylor suspended Duntsch, pictured, for a month. During surgery, Duntsch operated on the wrong part of Fennell's back. Dr. Death was fired before the end of his first week for the damage hed inflicted on Brown and Efurd. Texas law states that hospitals are liable for damages caused by doctors in their facilities only if the plaintiff can prove that the hospital acted with "malice"that is, the hospital knew of the extreme risk and ignored itin credentialing a doctor. Now, one of the several complaints against the . As he lay there in agony, Duntsch was nowhere to be found. Did Christopher Duntsch Have Any Successful Surgeries? After undergoing physical rehabilitation, Mayfield was able to walk with a cane but continued to experience paralysis on the right side of his body and in his left arm. [16] In 2021, he was profiled on CNBC's American Greed. But police say an email Duntsch wrote in 2011 points to his mind-set in the months before he "intentionally, knowingly and . He has taken Baylor Plano to court over changing the Texas law requiring patients to prove that a hospital intended to harm them when it granted privileges to someone unsafe. Then, on December 6, 2011, he operated on seventy-four-year-old Mary Efurd. He then prescribed Muse so much Percocet that a pharmacist refused to fill the prescription. Joshua Jackson on Not Playing Dr. Death as an Evil Man The Texas Medical Board would later conclude that Brown died of excessive blood loss and a stroke, according to The Texas Observer . Morgan didn't follow Duntsch after he left, however. Robert Lowes. But soon his patients started to experience complications, and the system failed to protect them. February 22, 2017. Randall Kirby wrote a detailed complaint to the Texas Medical Board, calling Duntsch a "sociopath" who was "a clear and present danger to the citizens of Texas." At one point, an assisting surgeon named Dr. Hoyle observed Duntsch performing such alarming and erratic behavior; he grabbed his hands and pleaded with him to stop. "I called Dr. Duntsch up, and I said, 'I saw this online.' Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana on April 3, 1971. Premiering Thursday on . By this time, however, Brown was brain dead. Duntsch's next patient was Jeff Glidewell. Philip is one of more than 30 people maimed by Dr. Christopher Duntsch, nicknamed Dr. Death by the media. Duntsch's next stop was at Dallas Medical Center. [19] Prosecutors sought a sentence long enough to ensure that Duntsch would never be able to practice medicine again. But when he awoke and was experiencing extreme pain, Dr. Duntsch said that surgery had been a success and there had been no complications. Their fling was confined to his office at Baylor Plano, and Morgan said in her deposition that he frequently drank vodka and did medical research for hours. [7], Henderson later recalled wondering if Duntsch was an impostor; he could not believe that a real surgeon would botch Efurd's surgery so badly. Board chairman Irwin Zeitzler later said that complications in neurosurgery were more common than most laymen believe, and it took until June 2013 to find the "pattern of patient injury" required to justify suspending Duntsch's license. During surgery, he cut a major vessel in her spinal cord. Dr. Duntsch assured Muse that the pain was normal and prescribed him, strong pain killers, causing him to spiral into an addiction. 'Dr. Death' Surgeon Killed or Maimed 33 of His Patients - Peoplemag Boop said that Duntsch spent his final year as an attending physician and could not operate independently. Vaccinated people who catch Covid are reporting unique symptoms - the 4 signs to watch for, Man, 34, charged with murder after woman, 63, killed in house fire as family vow 'you'll never be forgotten', Six dead after private jet crashes and explodes in fireball between two houses sparking forest blaze near golf course. He had a bedroom upstairs in their Plano house. In May 2013, Dr. Randall Kirby was invited to a dinner by University General Hospital to meet their new neurosurgeon, Dr. Duntsch. After 13 days of trial, the jury needed only four hours to convict him for the maiming of Efurd, and on February 20, 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison. Christopher Duntsch, 44, faces up to life in prison if convicted. One screw was jabbed directly into her spinal canal and had skewered the nerves that control one leg and the bladder. But based on documents gathered by the DA, when Duntsch finished his residency, he had operated fewer than 100 times. "[38], The director of neurosurgery at UT Southwestern, Carlos Bagley, testifying for the defense, said that "the only way this happens is that the entire system fails the patients. During his surgery, Duntsch didnt installed the necessary hardware to Muses spine and instead had left it floating between the spine and muscle tissue. [38], Duntsch is housed at the O. Assistant district attorney Michelle Shughart, who led the prosecution of Duntsch, later recalled that Henderson and Kirby reached out to her demanding to testify against Duntsch; according to Shughart, doctors rarely testify against each other. He was tragically mistaken. His first and only surgery with MISI was on a Thursday in September 2011 at Baylor Plano. How the 'Dr. Death' TV show takes 'a deeper dive' than the popular podcast The case highlights the risks of allowing a troubled physician to move to another hospital . At the time of their meeting, Young was working as a dancer in a strip club. Part of the problem was being able to prove that Duntsch's actions were willful as defined by Texas law. Jodi Smith. He avoided it and disappeared for several days. According to Megan Kane, an ex-girlfriend of one of Duntschs friends, she saw him eat a paper blotter of LSD and take prescription painkillers on his birthday. Christopher Duntsch Early Life Story, Family Background and Education. He felt that anyone with a basic knowledge of human anatomy would know that he was operating in the wrong area of Efurd's back. Jeff Cheney later learned that part of his spinal cord had been cut during the operation. [7], Shughart argued that Duntsch should have known he was likely to hurt others unless he changed his approach, and that his failure to learn from his past mistakes demonstrated that his maiming of Efurd was intentional. As of this date, there have been no summary or administrative restrictions or suspension of Duntsch's medical staff membership or clinical privileges during the time he has practiced at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano.". A few days later, he took the test and passed. Plano's Baylor hospital faces hard questions after claims against From 2017: https://bit.ly/3hXJccx Dr. Christopher Duntsch: A Review of Clinicide - Walsh Medical Media Through it all, Duntsch was able to lure patient after patient under his knife was his extreme confidence. In his deposition, Summers admitted he made up the pre-surgery cocaine binge because he felt Duntsch had abandoned him, as both his doctor and his friend. This case was filed in Dallas County District Courts, Dallas County Civil District Courts located in Dallas, Texas. His case is receiving renewed attention in the media. [7], While in Memphis, Duntsch began a long-term relationship with Wendy Renee Young. Summers remained quadriplegic for the rest of his life. He was arrested for DUI in Denver, taken for a psychiatric evaluation in Dallas during one of his visits to see his children, and was arrested in Dallas for shoplifting. Base compensation was $600,000 a year for two years, beginning on June 14, 2011. A deranged surgeon runs amok, maiming and killing multiple patients, unhindered by a medical community sworn to police itself. 5 of Dallas County (opinion)", "Texas Court of Appeals Affirms Conviction of 'Dr. Duntsch's defense blamed their client's actions on poor training and lack of hospital oversight. In September 2012, Jeff Cheney went to Duntsch to relieve the pain that had moved from his shoulder down to his arm. Soon after starting Efurd's surgery, Duntsch turned to Kissinger and told him he would be performing a craniotomy on Floella Brown. Dr Death, un nuevo programa que llegar a Peacock el jueves (15 de julio), se basa en la historia de la vida real de Christopher Duntsch, un ex neurocirujano que era, como dijo un famoso titular de ProPublica, "tan malo que era criminal".. Joshua Jackson interpreta a Duntsch, que ahora tiene 50 aos y cumple cadena perpetua despus de ser condenado en 2017 por mutilar a uno de sus . Duntsch also received forty percent of all revenue he generated beyond $800,000 each year. Mayfield also suffered from random fainting spells that happen every few weeks. Left: Christopher Duntsch in surgery, Right: Christopher Duntschs mugshot. When he called Duntsch's office, he was told it would "go away." [3], Duntsch was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 patients in less than two years before his license was revoked by the Texas Medical Board. Unfortunately, when Morguloff woke up, he began to experience continuous pain, paresthesia, and loss of sensation in his left leg. 'Dr. Death' shows how Texas law gives negligent health care providers a Christopher Duntsch - Wikipedia Joshua Jackson went to the dark side to play Dr. Christopher Duntsch, who's serving a life sentence for maiming a woman during surgery, in the new Peacock series Dr. Death. Following his blunders, Duntsch resigned from Baylor Plano in April 2012 before they could fire him. Dr. Death in surgery. He refused to abort the surgery even after a trauma surgeon colleague and an anesthesiologist warned him about the blood loss. Evil Lives Here: Shadows Of Death is investigating the numerous crimes of former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, who was nicknamed Dr. Death after causing pain, suffering, and even death to multiple patients over the course of two years. Anatomy of a Tragedy: The Story Behind 'Sociopath Surgeon' Christopher Nevertheless, it took until June 2013 to find the "pattern of patient injury" required to justify suspending Duntsch's license, despite receiving complaints dating back to 2011. Advertisement. Duntsch continued to medicate Morguloff with prescription pain killers and ignored the change in his condition. Dubbed "Dr. Death," the case gained national attention, revealing However, it wouldnt be long until Duntschs seemingly perfect career began to unravel. Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana on April 3, 1971. Caroline is a writer and Florida-transplant currently living in New York City. [9] Duntsch completed his undergraduate degree in 1995, then continued on to an ambitious MDPhD program. Jerry Summers believed that his best friend Christopher Duntsch was a talented neurosurgeon who would cure his chronic neck pain. Film & TV 'Dr. Death' Condemns Christopher Duntsch, but the Real Culprit Is Texas's Broken Health-Care System I helped break the story on the convicted surgeon, but Peacock's dramatized . Duntsch, who had been listed as the founder, president & chief science officer, was being sued by the former chief operating officer and was dismissed from his roles and seat on the board. Christopher Duntsch, known as "Dr. Death" tried to explain himself in rambling emails, but he only made things worse for his criminal case. 11:15 PM on Mar 1, 2014 CST. [36][11][9] For the same reason, prosecutors opted to try Duntsch for Efurd's maiming first. Now, his time at the university . To stop the bleeding, he packed the space with so much anticoagulant foam that it constricted Summers' spine. [9][16], As part of their investigation, prosecutors obtained a December 2011 email in which Duntsch boasted that he was " ready to leave the love and kindness and goodness and patience that I mix with everything else that I am and become a cold-blooded killer. Although she didn't think much of it and assumed Morgan was helping with research. Wendy Young knew her ex-boyfriend Christopher Duntsch's medical career was unraveling, but she wasn't prepared for what she said was his bizarre behavior that coincided with his fall from grace as a surgeon.. That same month, the two began an affair. [9] He was suspected of being under the influence of cocaine while operating during his fourth year of residency training, and was sent to a program for impaired physicians. He will be up for parole in 2045, when he is 74 years old. She also said that he kept a pile of cocaine on his dresser in his home office. Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. Dr. Death: The Long & Bloody Road to Justice for Dallas' Deadly Doctor The problem was that Dallas Medical Center did not perform those or even have the proper equipment to do them. [7], When Duntsch applied for privileges at Methodist Hospital in Dallas, the hospital queried the NPDB. Duntsch told Mayfield's wife it went well, but she instantly knew something was wrong as she walked into his room. [4], Longtime spine surgeon Robert Henderson performed the salvage surgery on Efurd. Over the course of two years, Christopher Duntsch operated on 38 patients in the Dallas area. Where is Michelle Shughart Now? - The Cinemaholic Christopher was raised along with his three younger siblings in a wealthy suburb in Memphis, Tennessee. Over this period, Duntsch performed back surgeries that left his patients in a worse condition, paralyzed, or deceased. Dr. Christopher D. Duntsch, Inactive - Plano, TX - RateMDs Christopher Duntsch is confirmed to have injured 31 patients and killed two . [4][49], Last edited on 14 February 2023, at 04:48, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Plano, Texas District and County Attorneys Association, "Dr. Duntsch defense expert: "The only way this happens is the entire system fails the patients", "Plano Doctor Suspended After Two Patient Deaths", "Former Neurosurgeon Faces Life In Prison After Guilty Verdict", "What Was Dr. Christopher Duntsch's Background And Why Were People So Impressed With The Man Later Known As 'Dr. Efurd eventually gained back some control and mobility, but she now uses a wheelchair and suffers chronic pain. Donald Duntsch was a gridiron football standout in Montana, and . According to his lawyers, Duntsch had not realized how poorly he had performed as a surgeon until he heard the prosecution experts tell the jury about his many blunders on the operating table. Wendy Renee Young and Christopher Duntsch first met in 2011 at a Beauty Shop bar in Memphis. After this look at Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. Duntsch operated and flew out to Las Vegas without securing a call physician. Hospital officials were exasperated when Duntsch refused to delay Efurd's surgery, and asked him multiple times to care for Brown or transfer her out of his care. Dr. Christopher Duntsch's patients ended up maimed and dead, but the real tragedy is that the Texas Medical Board couldn't stop him. 5 years after 'Dr. Death,' doctors still come to Texas to leave pasts In addition, a neurosurgeon hired to review Brown's case found that Dr. Duntsch had misdiagnosed the source of her pain and was operating in the wrong place. We've had a catastrophic event here. Hoyle called the surgery sloppy enough to cancel the remaining four operations he had scheduled with Duntsch and vowed never to work with him again. 0:57. Barry Morguloff, the owner of a pool service company, was left with bone fragments in his spinal canal after Duntsch tried to pull a damaged, Jerry Summers, a longtime friend of Duntsch's, came to Plano to have, Kellie Martin was undergoing a routine back operation when Duntsch cut through her spinal cord and severed an artery. Victim statements reveal more gruesome details of botched surgeries - WFAA His very first operation at the hospital would once again turn deadly.
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