Kirby was shocked; he called the owner of University General and warned him that Duntsch would hurt someone, and the hospital would be over. In February 2012, he went under the knife for an elective spinal fusion surgery. "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. The hospital called Rimlawi when it couldn't reach his colleague. However, the surgery had to be moved to November 14 because Duntsch had failed to order the appropriate surgical hardware and equipment. It told the unfortunately true story of Doctor Christopher Duntsch, who was eventually sentenced to life in prison for maiming an elderly patient. The process involves cutting a hole in the skull to relieve the pressure in the brain. Left: WFAA-TV, Right: D MagazineLeft: Christopher Duntsch in surgery, Right: Christopher Duntschs mugshot. Baylor wanted Duntsch operating quickly and often so they could be reimbursed for the monies they had advanced to him. However, by the time he met Young, Duntsch was over $500,000 in debt. Now, his time at the university . He later appealed his case, but lost when his conviction was upheld 2-1 in the Fifth District Court of Appeals . 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]. He later recalled that he read about Martin's death on the day before the surgery, but Duntsch cursed him out when he called to ask about it. Christopher Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison in February 2017 for his heinous acts. The former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch was finally brought to justice after injuring and maiming over 30 of his patients during surgery and allegedly causing the deaths of two more. [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. His first and only surgery with MISI was on a Thursday in September 2011 at Baylor Plano. Chahadeh was worried about his facility and getting sued by Duntsch; he said to Dr. Kirby that they had already given him privileges. Prince Charming, Im gonna change your life, Wendy Young said of the promising start to her romance with Christopher Duntsch. 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. I thought he was either really, really good, or hes just really, really arrogant and thought he was good, Hoyle said. Your trust is important to us. He also reported shooting pains throughout his body. Duntsch continued operating despite clear signs that Martin was losing massive amounts of blood. After his license was revoked,Duntsch fled from Texas. Page opened a desk drawer and saw a mirror with a pile of cocaine and a rolled-up dollar bill on top. among the top 12 percent of medical school graduates in his class named to the elite Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. On November 7, 2011, Dr. Duntsch was scheduled to perform his first surgery at Baylor Plano on Kenneth Fennell for his back pain. "[4] The Texas Medical Board revoked Duntsch's license on December 6, 2013. Christopher Duntsch was a neurosurgeon who radiated confidence. 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. On April 9, 2013, Phillip Mayfield was scheduled to have a simple 45-minute operation to alleviate his back pain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Duntsch, https://www.propublica.org/article/dr-death-christopher-duntsch-a-surgeon-so-bad-it-was-criminal, https://www.dmagazine.com/healthcare-business/2021/10/a-witness-to-dr-death-in-the-presence-of-a-sociopath/, https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2016/november/christopher-duntsch-dr-death/, https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/who-were-the-victims-of-dr-christopher-duntsch, https://www.dallasnews.com/news/investigations/2014/03/02/planos-baylor-hospital-faces-hard-questions-after-claims-against-former-neurosurgeon/, https://www.texasobserver.org/anatomy-tragedy/, https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2015/08/25/7-chilling-thoughts-of-jailed-neurosurgeon-christopher-duntsch/, https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/greg-abbott-enters-fray-in-lawsuits-involving-sociopath-doctor/, https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2017/02/a-jury-now-controls-the-fate-of-neurosurgeon-christopher-duntsch/, https://www.thedailybeast.com/victim-of-real-life-dr-death-believes-there-are-others-like-him-out-there?ref=scroll, https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/what-happened-to-discgenics-co-founded-by-dr-death-christopher-duntsch, https://www.texasobserver.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Morguloff-Complaint.pdf. [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. However, it wasn't clear how much training Duntsch received. "[20][4] Under heavy lobbying from Kirby and Henderson, the Texas Medical Board suspended Duntsch's license on June 26, 2013. [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. A Texas neurosurgeon accused of intentionally botching multiple spinal surgeries, resulting in the death of two . Where is Christopher Duntsch AKA Dr. Death now? He might have been fired from the Institute but was still a surgeon at Baylor Plano. If you had back pain, and had tried everything else, Dr. Duntsch could give you the spine surgery that would take your pain away. Even if a plaintiff wins the maximum award, after you pay your lawyer and your experts and go through, potentially, years of trial, not much is left. He claimed he was the best in Dallas. For 33 patients of Texas neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, it was a reality. That same month, the two began an affair. He proved to be Duntsch's last surgery; University General pushed him out soon afterward. 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. A few days later, he took the test and passed. Efurd eventually gained back some control and mobility, but she now uses a wheelchair and suffers chronic pain. Over the course of 18-months, the nefarious ex-surgeon performed a spree of botched . The sponge triggered a severe blood-borne infection that caused Glidewell to become septic. According to D Magazine, Duntsch did so well in medical school that he was allowed to join the prestigiousAlpha Omega Medical Honor Society. One day, he happened to see a fax come in to the medical examiner's office. 5 of Dallas County (opinion)", "Texas Court of Appeals Affirms Conviction of 'Dr. The Peacock originalDr Deathis based on atrue story. He did his surgical residency at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, spending five years studying neurosurgery and a year studying general surgery. When Morgan asked Duntsch about the woman in his house, he said she was just his secretary and friend. His father, Donald, was a physical therapist and Christian missionary. 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. [12], Initially, Duntsch focused heavily on the PhD half of his degree. A patient who was left barely able to walk and in constant pain after undergoing two botched surgeries at the hands of killer neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch says he 'guarantees' there are other . But he yearned to play linebacker for a Division 1 team and set his sights on the Colorado State Rams. Christopher Duntsch ended up at Millsaps College in Mississippi to play football and was offered financial aid. 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. 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 . From 2011 to 2013, dozens of patients in the Dallas area woke up after their surgeries with horrible pain, numbness and, paralysis. It was Duntsch, babbling about his family being in danger. Troy was sedated for weeks and forced to eat through a feeding tube because food was getting into her lungs. Former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch is one of the most infamous doctors ever brought to trial in a criminal case, and with good reason. The night before his surgery, he read online about Kellie Martin's death just months earlier. Before working with him, Dr. Hoyle said that he didnt know how to feel about his fellow surgeon. Donald Duntsch was a gridiron football standout in Montana, and . Henderson sent Duntsch's picture to the University of Tennessee to determine whether he had a degree from that institution and received confirmation that Duntsch was not a fraud. He will not be eligible for parole until 2045, when he will be 74-years-old. To avoid the costs of fighting and possibly losing a wrongful termination suit, hospital officials reached a deal with Duntsch's lawyers in which Duntsch was allowed to resign in return for Baylor Plano issuing a letter stating that there were no issues with him. At one point, he was only able to eat small bites of food at one time. [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. One of the early investors in DiscGenics, Rand Page, said Duntsch would be mixing a vodka orange juice during their morning meetings. [9] Texas Medical Board Revocation Order. All the while, the operating room staff questioned whether Duntsch was putting hardware into Efurd in the right places and noticed he kept drilling and removing screws. The lead investigator on the case later revealed that she wanted Duntsch's license suspended while the ten-month probe was underway, but board attorneys were not willing to go along. A Texas jury found Christopher Duntsch guilty Feb. 14 of maiming patients who had turned to him for surgery to resolve debilitating injuries. He had complex regional pain syndrome, a rare type of chronic pain that caused his skin to blister and peel off. 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. 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. She suffered a stroke as a result. (The Associated Press) A Texas neurosurgeon branded a "sociopath" by his colleagues could be facing 99 years in prison over multiple charges of intentionally botching . Duntsch suggested drilling a hole in Brown's head to relieve the pressure, but was refused permission. [47] A follow-up docuseries, Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story, was later released on Peacock on July 29, 2021, featuring interviews with some of Duntsch's patients and colleagues, as well as with Henderson, Kirby and Shughart. Several people who were in the operating room for Efurd's surgery suspected that Duntsch might have been intoxicated, recalling that his pupils were dilated. After several more months of botched surgeries, Duntsch finally lost his surgical privileges altogether in June 2013 after two physicians complained to the Texas Medical Board. CHRISTOPHER Duntsch, is infamously known as Dr Death for gross malpractice. [38], Duntsch is housed at the O. Death'? Morguloff had become addicted to the pain killers being prescribed to him by this time. The problem was that Dallas Medical Center did not perform those or even have the proper equipment to do them. Despite his colleagues being [] 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. Henderson and Kirby feared that Duntsch could move and theoretically get a medical license in another state. He said, "Randy, you were right. Duntsch, 40 at that time, bought an appletini for Young, 27, and they started their relationship. Advertisements. She witnessed Duntsch put on his lab coat and make his rounds the following morning as if nothing had happened. 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 . Fennell required months of rehabilitation to be able to walk with a cane, and was left unable to walk for more than 30 feet or stand for more than a few minutes without having to sit down again. Duntsch is at the O. Dallas-based surgeon Christopher Duntsch was also the subject of a Wondery podcast titled "Dr. Death." (Dallas County Jail) The indictment accused Duntsch of wide-ranging malpractice, including . 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. 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. Convinced that he was a clear and present danger to the public, they urged the Dallas County district attorney's office to pursue criminal charges. He is very caring and took the time to help me understand my pain issues. Unfortunately, when Morguloff woke up, he began to experience continuous pain, paresthesia, and loss of sensation in his left leg. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! [14] He persuaded Young to come with him; Young agreed, since she had grown up in the Dallas area. During his short tenure, he spent little time in the operating room. When he called Duntsch's office, he was told it would "go away." On December 30, 2011, Duntsch operated on Lee Passmore. Could you take care of it?" During his surgery, Duntsch didnt installed the necessary hardware to Muses spine and instead had left it floating between the spine and muscle tissue. Dr. Mark Hoyle, a surgeon who worked with Duntsch during one of his botched procedures, told D Magazine that he would make extremely arrogant announcements such as: Everybody is doing it wrong. Young had family in Dallas and decided she would go with him if he picked that city. Yet, in April 2012, he returned to work just four months after surgery. He recommended fusing two of her vertebrae and the insertion of "hardware" in her spinal area. He didn't contact a lawyer, although he struggled with the decision. Dr. Hassan Chahadeh, the owner, said when Duntsch had applied for privileges, his record was clean. The story of Dr. Death, Christopher Duntsch, feels like something out of a movie or book. A disc in his lower spine had blown out, and the pieces had to be picked out of the space above. 0:57. [11] Several of his friends recalled him going to work after a night of doing drugs, with one of them saying he would never allow Duntsch to operate on him. Muse woke up in considerable pain, but Duntsch convinced him it was normal. On top of this, he misspelled both Kukekov and Ignatova's names. 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." Duntsch's next patient was Jeff Glidewell. In one particularly disturbing episode, in March 2015, she said she arrived home to her front door had been locked with a deadbolt from the inside. Officers took him to a nearby psychiatric hospital. D MagazineChristopher Duntsch a.k.a. "Christopher Duntsch, Texas Medical Board license number N8183, is an impaired physician, a sociopath, and must be stopped from practicing medicine." Robin Glidewell also sent a letter . Prosecutors also faulted Duntsch's employers for not reporting him. Lee Passmore's screams poured out from the ICU and down the hallway. He thought surgery might give him some relief and stop his need for drugs. Dr. Frederick Boop, chief of neurosurgery at the hospital where Duntsch was completing his residency, said that university officials asked Duntsch to take a drug test. Passmore focused on recovery and getting back to work in the months following his surgery. One of the patients who suffered disastrous consequences was Jerry Summers, the boyfriend of Megan Kane and a friend of Christopher Duntsch. Not only was he not qualified for and held no privileges to perform brain surgery, but Dallas Medical did not have the proper equipment or personnel for such an operation. Death,' Dallas neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch", "Texas neurosurgeon nicknamed 'Dr. Young said that Morgan visited often. Duntsch operated and flew out to Las Vegas without securing a call physician. Once, he stopped by to pick up some paperwork. Christopher Duntsch is confirmed to have injured 31 patients and killed two . It stars Joshua Jackson as Duntsch, Alec Baldwin as Robert Henderson, Christian Slater as Randall Kirby and AnnaSophia Robb as Michelle Shughart. During this time, he ran two successful labs and raised millions of dollars in grant funding. Ghostbar, Dragonfly at Hotel Zaza. He was sent to a program for impaired physicians when he returned but was allowed to finish his residency. The Judge overseeing this case is GINSBERG, CARL. He completed a spine fellowship program at the Semmes-Murphey Clinic in Memphis for his surgical residency, spending the standard five years on neurosurgery and one-year learning general surgery. Typically, neurosurgery residents participate in over 1,000 surgeries in the course of their residency. Convinced that he was a clear and present danger to the public, they urged the Dallas County district attorney's office to pursue criminal charges. Promising Beginnings. Duntsch lasted about three months at MISI. But based on documents gathered by the DA, when Duntsch finished his residency, he had operated fewer than 100 times. His sophomore year, he made it as one of the few walk-on players. Learn more. Duntsch had also installed hardware into her muscle, not her bone, so loose that it moved when you touched it. 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. The series is set to premiere on July 12 and will feature a star-studded cast. [36] On February 20, 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison. The patient was Mary Efurd coming in for a second operation. "He said the patient died from having an allergic reaction to the anesthesia." "[3] A neurosurgery expert for Duntsch's defense team himself said, "The conditions which created Dr.Duntsch still exist, thereby making it possible for another to come along. The hospital initiated another peer review, but Duntsch resigned rather than face certain termination. However, Duntsch was allowed to resign, and the hospital didn't notify the National Practitioner Data Bankagain. She bled so much that blood was saturating the blue draping around her body and dripping onto the floor. Christopher Duntsch is currently imprisoned at the O.B. [9][10], Duntsch had severed Brown's vertebral artery, and refused to abort despite the massive blood loss. The case highlights the risks of allowing a troubled physician to move to another hospital . Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Policy | Compact with Texans | Website Linking Policy; Please contact Pre-Licensure, Registration and Consumer Services at . It was then that Christopher decided to switch his career to medicine. 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.. During surgery, he cut a major vessel in her spinal cord. With Brown still in the ICU, Duntsch took another patient into surgery that morning. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Duntsch continued to medicate Morguloff with prescription pain killers and ignored the change in his condition. He earned his M.D. Mary Efurd: While Brown was dying, Duntsch was operating on Mary Efurd, a 71-year-old anxious to return to her treadmill after surgery to relieve her back pain. I can't believe that you're accusing me of killing someone,'" Muse recounted. Jerry Summers believed that his best friend Christopher Duntsch was a talented neurosurgeon who would cure his chronic neck pain. Christopher Daniel Duntsch (born April 3, 1971) is a former American neurosurgeon who has been nicknamed Dr. D. and Dr. Death for gross malpractice resulting in the maiming of several patients' spines and two deaths while working at hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.. Duntsch was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 patients in less than two years before his license was revoked by the . He knew this couldn't have been a one-time mistake. On 06/26/2013 MARY EFURD filed a Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice lawsuit against CHRISTOPHER D DUNTSCH, MD. Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana on April 3, 1971. 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. She said she thought that he was going to make millions, Kimberly Morgan's friend once said her attraction to Christopher Duntsch. Watch the trailer for Dr . He was a genius. 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. By this time, Jerry Summers, his childhood friend, had moved from Tennessee to live with Duntsch. [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. Following his blunders, Duntsch resigned from Baylor Plano in April 2012 before they could fire him. Baylor Plano again ordered Duntsch to take a drug test. After intense rehab and his determination, eventually, he was able to use a walker and cane to mobilize himself. Duntsch's next stop was at Dallas Medical Center. Peacock's Dr. Death is a chilling dramatization of the real-life story of former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch. The charismatic neurosurgeon was actually a successful researcher before he starting killing people in the operating . 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. Board chairman Irwin Zeitzler later said that complications in neurosurgery were more common than most think. Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. ", "Assault trial begins for Dallas surgeon who once wrote of becoming 'cold blooded killer', "The State of Texas vs. Christopher Daniel Dunstch", "Life Sentence Upheld on Appeal For Christopher Duntsch, aka Dr. Death", "What you need to know about 'Dr. When Jerry Summers woke up, he couldn't move his arms or legs. Anatomy of a Tragedy. In addition, a ligament in his leg was severed, and a screw was stripped and lodged into a nerve bundle. Duntsch stuffed Glidewell's throat with a surgical sponge to attempt to stop the bleeding. Dr. Death in surgery. An investigator by trade and nature, Passmore started digging into Dr. Christopher Duntsch. Around this time, Christopher Duntsch's behavior became noticeably erratic. One screw was jabbed directly into her spinal canal and had skewered the nerves that control one leg and the bladder.
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