He earned his M.D. 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. My experience with this doctor has been great. Dr. Death in surgery. He is not eligible for parole until 2045, when he will be 74 years old. He died in 2021 of an infection related to complications from Duntsch's operation. 0:05. 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." Death. "[45], Wondery Media launched a ten-episode podcast series named Dr. Death, focusing on Duntsch. Duntsch recommended fusing Morguloff's L5-S1 vertebrae, and the surgery was scheduled for January 11, 2012. A deranged surgeon runs amok, maiming and killing multiple patients, unhindered by a medical community sworn to police itself. He graduated from a top-tier medical school, was running research labs, and completed a residency program for neurosurgery. He is very caring and took the time to help me understand my pain issues. During his short tenure, he spent little time in the operating room. Everything went perfect in there." It was completely unnecessary, didn't relieve her pain, and only set her up for another needed surgery. The criminal conviction of Christopher Duntsch, MD, PhD, holds important lessons for risk managers. Kirby, Henderson, and another doctor decided to contact the district attorney, convinced that Duntsch's malpractice was so egregious it was criminal. Ratings for Dr. Christopher D. Duntsch, Inactive. Brown was left in a coma for hours before Duntsch finally acquiesced to her transfer. Christopher Duntsch, the onetime Dallas neurosurgeon whose butcher-like techniques killed two patients and permanently injured more, feels made to exist at the center of a work of fiction; perhaps, Morguloff sought a second opinion on his excruciating pain from Dr. Michael Desaloms. Duntsch, 40 at that time, bought an appletini for Young, 27, and they started their relationship. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Over objections from Duntsch's lawyers, prosecutors called many of Duntsch's other patients to the stand to prove that his actions were intentional. So as Duntsch operated on Efurd, he quarreled with Kissinger and his supervisors, insisting on a craniotomy for Brown. In my opinion, we had a serial killer in our medical community, Dr. Randall Kirbysays of Christopher Duntsch in "Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story.". Jeff Cheney later learned that part of his spinal cord had been cut during the operation. However, St. Jude says there was no such program at the hospital. In 2017, Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of maiming one of his patients. Dhruv Trivedi. 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. Duntsch received his undergraduate degree from the University of Memphis and stayed in town to receive an M.D. Jerry Summers believed that his best friend Christopher Duntsch was a talented neurosurgeon who would cure his chronic neck pain. I am sorry in advance that this blog post is so long. Passmore focused on recovery and getting back to work in the months following his surgery. [31][16] The inquiry went nowhere until 2015, when the statute of limitations on any potential charges was due to run out. There were two names on the top page: Kellie Martin and Christopher Duntsch. He was a forty-five-year-old man with typical back problems. In 2011, Christopher Duntsch met Wendy Young at the Beauty Shop bar in Memphis. Inside The Death Of Chris Benoit, The Professional Wrestler Who Killed His Family And Then Himself, Archaeologists Just Uncovered A Massive Roman Phallic Carving In Spain And It Might Be The Biggest Ever Found, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. He was wearing the shirt of his black scrubs, and it was covered in blood. Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana on April 3, 1971. Over the course of 18-months, the nefarious ex-surgeon performed a spree of botched . [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. Before his license was revoked by the Texas Medical Board, he was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 . Since receiving his life sentence, Dr Death is currently housed in the O.B. D MagazineChristopher Duntsch a.k.a. He was nicknamed Dr. D. and Dr. Death for malpractice resulting in the maiming of several patients and killing two of them while working at hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Robert Lowes. It was determined during the repair surgery that Dr. Duntsch had not even been operating on the correct part of Jeff Glidewell's spine. "Based on a hit podcast and inspired by the terrifying true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a young and charismatic star in the Texas medical community," Peacock explains about the series. Duntsch also received forty percent of all revenue he generated beyond $800,000 each year. As Burke says in "Dr. Death," "No matter what happens, no matter what somebody does to you or the people you love, all you're gonna get is $250,000. Christopher Duntsch wrote that he was ready to become a "cold blooded killer". The suit alleged that Baylor Plano made an average net profit of $65,000 on every spinal surgery performed by Duntsch. [4] [19], Despite both of his surgeries at Dallas Medical Center going catastrophically awry, hospital officials did not report him to the NPDB. [7], When Duntsch applied for privileges at Methodist Hospital in Dallas, the hospital queried the NPDB. Since receiving his life sentence, Dr Death is currently housed in the O.B. Mayfield died of COVID in February 2021; according to his wife, he had been vulnerable to the virus due to complications caused by Duntsch's botched surgery. Jerry Summers believed that his best friend Christopher Duntsch was a talented neurosurgeon who would cure his chronic neck pain. While they were in the lab working, Duntsch went to work raising money for a company he called DiscGenics. Duntsch was in a long-term relationship with Wendy Renee Young, after the pair met at a bar in Memphis when she was 27 and he was 40. [38][39] On December 10, 2018, the Texas Court of Appeals affirmed Duntsch's conviction by a 21 split decision. Dr. Hassan Chahadeh, the owner, said when Duntsch had applied for privileges, his record was clean. 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 . CHRISTOPHER Duntsch, is infamously known as Dr Death for gross malpractice. Kirby was shocked; he called the owner of University General and warned him that Duntsch would hurt someone, and the hospital would be over. He also reported shooting pains throughout his body. He was held in the Dallas County jail for almost two years until the case went to trial in 2017. Duntsch had removed part of his femoral nerve. This case was filed in Dallas County District Courts, Dallas County Civil District Courts located in Dallas, Texas. In a long running series of complaints, a Texas doctor has been found guilty of a felony in one medical malpractice case. Duntsch did not respond to messages from the hospital for a few hours, then the next day scheduled an elective surgery on Efurd rather than care for Brown. Kirby warned him again that it was only a matter of time. He was smart. [37][4], Over objections from Duntsch's lawyers, prosecutors called many of Duntsch's other patients to the stand in order to prove that his actions were intentional. This time on 53-year-old Mary Efurd. Morgan says they spent a lot of time in clubs. [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. Did Christopher Duntsch have a wife and kids? 5 of Dallas County (opinion)", "Texas Court of Appeals Affirms Conviction of 'Dr. After interviewing dozens of Duntsch's patients and their survivors, prosecutors concluded that Duntsch's acts were indeed criminal, and nothing short of imprisonment would prevent him from practicing medicine again. Christopher Duntsch is currently imprisoned at the O.B. Prince Charming, Im gonna change your life, Wendy Young said of the promising start to her romance with Christopher Duntsch. Summers remained quadriplegic for the rest of his life. Prosecutors sought a sentence long enough to ensure that Duntsch would never be able to practice medicine again. From 2011 to 2013, dozens of patients in the Dallas area woke up after their surgeries with horrible pain, numbness and, paralysis. Wendy Renee Young was romantically involved with Texas physician Christopher Duntsch, who became known as "Dr . He added that many board members found it hard to believe that a trained surgeon could be as incompetent as Duntsch appeared to be.[9]. Prosecutors also faulted Duntsch's employers for not reporting him. On May 24, 2011, Christopher Duntsch signed a physician services agreement with Rimlawi and Won's Minimally Invasive Spine Institute (MISI) in Dallas. His sophomore year, he made it as one of the few walk-on players. Page opened a desk drawer and saw a mirror with a pile of cocaine and a rolled-up dollar bill on top. As the trial team put it, the "scary pattern" of Duntsch's actions became apparent to the others in the office, leading the DA to give the green light to take the case to a grand jury. In April 2015, Duntsch was arrested again for shoplifting $887 worth of merchandise from a Dallas Walmart. By this time, Duntsch was almost penniless, and the judge had to appoint a lawyer for him. Floella Brown went under Dr. Deaths knife in July 2012 and shortly after her surgery, she suffered a massive stroke caused by Duntsch slicing her vertebral artery during surgery. In the end, Floella Brown never regained consciousness because Duntsch refused to transfer her to another doctor in time, and her family had to remove her from life support. Every victim deserves to have their story told, and unfortunately, Christopher Duntsch, aka Dr. Death, has 33. [10][7], Duntsch completed his residency having participated in fewer than 100 surgeries. Now, a podcast called Dr. Death is breaking down the deranged surgeons criminal acts and shows how drug abuse and blinding overconfidence led to big trouble for the patients who found themselvesunderneath the spiraling doctors knife. When Martin awoke from anesthesia, she was screaming and clawing at her legs which had become patchy and full of purple streaks and spots. [7], While in Memphis, Duntsch began a long-term relationship with Wendy Renee Young. 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. 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. Christopher Daniel Duntsch was born in Montana on April 3, 1971, and raised alongside his three siblings in an affluent suburb of Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Death, read about how reckless surgeon Robert Liston killed his patient and two bystanders. He ran two labs, gained experience writing grants, and earned more than $3 million in funding for research projects. [29] Texas Attorney General and current Governor Greg Abbott filed a motion to intervene in the suits to defend Baylor Plano, citing the Texas legislature's 2003 statute that placed a medical malpractice cap of $250,000 and removed the term "gross negligence" from the definition of legal malice. He called Duntsch's fellowship supervisor in Memphis and the supervisor of Duntsch's residency; it was then that he learned about the incident that led him to be referred to the impaired physician program. "Something was wrong," Dr. Rimlawi said, "whether it be impairment from drugs, alcohol, mental illness, or a combination of all three." In May 2013, Dr. Randall Kirby was invited to a dinner by University General Hospital to meet their new neurosurgeon, Dr. Duntsch. Once, he stopped by to pick up some paperwork. No diagnostic imaging studies were ordered, and no reasonable explanation was offered for his condition. Left: WFAA-TV, Right: D MagazineLeft: Christopher Duntsch in surgery, Right: Christopher Duntschs mugshot. Efurd eventually gained back some control and mobility, but she now uses a wheelchair and suffers chronic pain. Before going to medical school, Duntsch wanted to be a pro-football player. They argued that Duntsch was motivated to continue operating because the salary of a neurosurgeon would solve his vast financial issues. And its all because of one surgeon named Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. On December 30, 2011, Duntsch operated on Lee Passmore. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Duntsch, aka Dr Death, was sentenced to life in prison in 2017, Dr Death - Trailer for the Peacock series based on the true story of Christopher Duntsch. "[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. They argued that Duntsch was motivated to continue operating because the lucrative salary of a neurosurgeon would solve his mounting financial problems. Prosecutors also faulted Duntsch's employers for not reporting him. Prosecutors put a high priority on that charge, as it provided the widest sentencing range, with Duntsch facing up to life in prison if convicted. Many of his patients suffered severe spinal cord damage, resulting in paralysis and pain severe enough to render painkillers ineffective. Berry Morguloff was Dr. Duntsch's next unsuspecting victim. When he began at MISI, Duntsch hired an assistant, Kimberly Morgan, and she started on August 29, 2011. During this time, he ran two successful labs and raised millions of dollars in grant funding. He did his surgical residency at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, spending five years studying neurosurgery and a year studying general surgery. However, red flags surfaced early on, as nurses wondered if Duntsch was under the influence of drugs while on duty. Immediately, he started yelling and cussing at me, saying, 'How dare you? [18] He damaged patient Philip Mayfield's spinal cord, drilling into it and leaving him partially paralyzed from the neck down. She was dancing at a strip club in Memphis, and Duntsch's issues with his business, DiscGenics, grew more severe. February 22, 2017. Officers said he was driving on the left side of the road with two flat tires. Christopher Duntsch, once a supremely confident neurosurgeon with a solid rsum and a wealth of potential, fled town in disgrace last year under a scalding cascade . [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. Kane also recalled a cocaine- and LSD-fueled night of partying between her, her ex-boyfriend, and Duntsch where, after the end of their all-night party, she saw Duntsch put on his lab coat and go to work. However, it wouldnt be long until Duntschs seemingly perfect career began to unravel. [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]. Several of Duntsch's surgeries at Baylor Plano resulted in severely maimed patients: Baylor Plano officials found that Duntsch failed to meet their standards of care and permanently revoked his surgical privileges. He claimed he was the best in Dallas.

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