Christopher Duntsch was just a regular guy who became Dr. Death after he decided to be a neurosurgeon. He might have been fired from the Institute but was still a surgeon at Baylor Plano. Around 2006 and 2007, Duntsch began to become unhinged. When Henderson saw the imaging from Duntsch's surgery, he was certain that there would be legal action, and had the salvage surgery recorded. In 2017, Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of maiming one of his patients. Where is Kim Morgan Now? Christopher Duntsch | True Crime Buzz | Oxygen Official Site His CV also conveyed he earned a Ph.D. in microbiology from St. Jude Children's Research Hospitals, graduating summa cum laude. Dr. Death: The Long & Bloody Road to Justice for Dallas' Deadly Doctor The criminal conviction of Christopher Duntsch, MD, PhD, holds important lessons for risk managers. However, it wasn't clear how much training Duntsch received. [7], When Duntsch applied for privileges at Methodist Hospital in Dallas, the hospital queried the NPDB. 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. In July 2015, a grand jury indicted Dr. Death on five counts of aggravated assault and one count of harming an elderly person, his patient Mary Efurd, according to Rolling Stone. Cheney recalled wondering why a neurosurgeon with such outstanding credentials would be operating at a lower-tiered hospital on the way to his surgery. It's hard to find a lawyer willing to jump through these hoops no matter how negligent the doctor was, because Texas limits non-economic damages in most cases to $250,000 per doctor. However, St. Jude says there was no such program at the hospital. Then, on December 6, 2011, he operated on seventy-four-year-old Mary Efurd. Despite this refusal, Duntsch was allowed to finish his residency. 1-Christopher Duntsch and then girlfriend, Wendy Young. In September 2012, Jeff Cheney went to Duntsch to relieve the pain that had moved from his shoulder down to his arm. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Jerry Summers, who grew up with Christopher Duntsch in Tennessee, was left a quadriplegic after agreeing to let "Dr. Death" operate on his neck. "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 . Written by Patrick Macmanus, the show will only be available exclusively on Peacock. After his license was revoked,Duntsch fled from Texas. 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. He wanted to become a doctor, and not just any doctor - a neurosurgeon, operating on injured backs and necks. 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. 11:15 PM on Mar 1, 2014 CST. [18] Despite this, Duntsch was retained by South Hampton when new owners bought it and renamed it University General Hospital. ", "Surgeon who wrote of becoming killer is denied bail reduction", "Elderly couple attends court hoping for justice in Duntsch case", "Who Were The Victims Of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, Who Earned The Ominous Nickname 'Dr. 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. [9] Texas Medical Board Revocation Order. Brown was left in a coma for hours before Duntsch finally acquiesced to her transfer. 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. But soon his patients started to experience complications, and the system failed to protect them. In a long running series of complaints, a Texas doctor has been found guilty of a felony in one medical malpractice case. Over this period, Duntsch performed back surgeries that left his patients in a worse condition, paralyzed, or deceased. Over the course of two years, Christopher Duntsch operated on 38 patients in the Dallas area. The sponge triggered a severe blood-borne infection that caused Glidewell to become septic. The bad doctor: A health care worker doing harm - Plano Magazine The series follows two other surgeons, along with . On November 7, 2011, Dr. Duntsch was scheduled to perform his first surgery at Baylor Plano on Kenneth Fennell for his back pain. Duntsch continued operating despite clear signs that Martin was losing massive amounts of blood. A Surgeon So Bad It Was Criminal ProPublica Finally, the board permanently revoked Duntsch's license on December 6, 2013. 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. 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. The first season of Dr. Death, which launched in 2018 and ran for seven episodes, examined the life and horrific crimes of Christopher Duntsch. 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. Christopher Duntsch. Duntsch focused on his research for a while but was recruited from Memphis to join the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute in North Dallas in the summer of 2011. and Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee Health Center. But, she never reported Duntsch up the ladder or told anyone about the horrors she witnessed in the operating room. [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. Wendy Renee Young was romantically involved with Texas physician Christopher Duntsch, who became known as "Dr . by Saul Elbein. Dr. Duntsch assured Muse that the pain was normal and prescribed him, strong pain killers, causing him to spiral into an addiction. Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Policy | Compact with Texans | Website Linking Policy; Please contact Pre-Licensure, Registration and Consumer Services at . The case status is Disposed - Other Disposed. On 06/26/2013 MARY EFURD filed a Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice lawsuit against CHRISTOPHER D DUNTSCH, MD. Over the course of 18-months, the nefarious ex-surgeon performed a spree of botched . 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. Jodi Smith. Due to these legal hurdles and costly lawyer fees on the plaintiff's part, few hospitals end up having to pay out after facing a malpractice lawsuit. [43], The conviction of Duntsch has been called a precedent-setting case, as it is believed to be the first time that a physician has been convicted on criminal charges for actions in the course of their medical work. [27], While attempting to remove degenerated discs in Marshall "Tex" Muse's back, Duntsch left surgical hardware floating between the spine and muscle tissue. No diagnostic imaging studies were ordered, and no reasonable explanation was offered for his condition. Did Christopher Duntsch Have Any Successful Surgeries? "[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. Baylor Plano allowed Duntsch to continue operating despite the documented issues with Kenneth Fennell, Mary Efurd, Lee Passmore, and Barry Morguloff's surgeries. The Legislature has also made suing hospitals difficult. Christopher Duntsch was nicknamed Dr. Death due to the injuries he caused his patients. During surgery, Duntsch damaged Summers' vertebral artery causing it to bleed uncontrollably. She also said that he kept a pile of cocaine on his dresser in his home office. The two went back to Duntsch's home and danced under a disco ball he had in his office. Christopher Daniel Duntsch was born in Montana on April 3, 1971, and raised alongside his three siblings in an affluent suburb of . 2-Dr.Randall Kirby, a hero. 'Sociopath' neurosurgeon accused of botching operations Lazar was scathingly critical of Duntsch's work. Dr. Rimlawi called Baylor Plano and advised them against continuing a relationship with Christopher Duntsch, but this fell to deaf ears. Henderson then cleaned out bone fragments and discovered that one of Efurd's nerve roots was gone entirely. The story of Dr. Death, Christopher Duntsch, feels like something out of a movie or book. To become a neurosurgeon, one typically has to complete over 1000 surgeries in residency, but somehow, reporter Laura Beil discovered that Duntsch only completed 100. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Passmore says if he settles, he is allowing the hospital to continue to get away with their negligence. Ellis Unit prison in Huntsville, Texas. When Jerry Summers woke up, he couldn't move his arms or legs. The True Story Of Christopher Duntsch, The Killer Surgeon Known As Dr. [7] He lasted for less than a week before administrators pulled his privileges after the death of a patient, Floella Brown, and the maiming of another, Mary Efurd. He thought surgery might give him some relief and stop his need for drugs. No show's ever made you as terrified of doctors as 'Dr. Death' will She was transferred to a Dallas hospital after suffering from a severe infection, and Randal Kirby was asked to operate on her. However, things soon went south. Now, one of the several complaints against the . Advertisement. 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. [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. [46], Dr. Death, a TV mini-series based on the podcast, began streaming on Peacock on July 15, 2021. Could you take care of it?" The process involves cutting a hole in the skull to relieve the pressure in the brain. Christopher Duntsch, 44, faces up to life in prison if convicted. The appalling actions of the rogue surgeon and their repercussions on his unsuspecting patients were . "He said the patient died from having an allergic reaction to the anesthesia." Dr. Death was fired before the end of his first week for the damage hed inflicted on Brown and Efurd. Left: WFAA-TV, Right: D MagazineLeft: Christopher Duntsch in surgery, Right: Christopher Duntschs mugshot. Morguloff sought a second opinion on his excruciating pain from Dr. Michael Desaloms. The suit alleged that Baylor Plano made an average net profit of $65,000 on every spinal surgery performed by Duntsch. Dr. Death, read about how reckless surgeon Robert Liston killed his patient and two bystanders. During his tenure at Baylor Plano, Kimberly Morgan assisted in every surgery with Duntsch. Leaving on April 20, 2012, with a lawyer-negotiated letter saying, "All areas of concern with regard to Christopher D. Duntsch have been closed. It was Duntsch, babbling about his family being in danger. Many of his patients suffered severe spinal cord damage, resulting in paralysis and pain severe enough to render painkillers ineffective. A deranged surgeon runs amok, maiming and killing multiple patients, unhindered by a medical community sworn to police itself. [33][34] The indictments were made four months before the statute of limitations were to run out. Learn more. If Baylor Plano or Dallas Medical had reported him to the Texas Medical Board or the National Practitioner Databank, hiring personnel would have been notified something was wrong. Prosecutors also faulted Duntsch's employers for not reporting him. In February 2012, he went under the knife for an elective spinal fusion surgery. [7] While operating on Jacqueline Troy, Duntsch cut one of her vocal cords and an artery and also damaged her trachea. Duntsch stuffed a surgical sponge in Glidewell's throat to stanch the bleeding. 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. The show starsJoshua Jackson,Grace Gummer, AnnaSophia Robb,Christian SlaterandAlec Baldwin. Young let him buy her an appletini, and they felt a connection; eventually, she went home with Duntsch. Just weeks after permanently maiming Morguloff, Dr. Duntsch operated on his lifelong friend and roommate, Jerry Summers. 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. Did Christopher Duntsch have a wife and kids? 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. Before he was "Dr. Death" on Wondery's hit 2018 podcast, disgraced former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch was a student at Colorado State University. Young said that Morgan visited often. Morgan says they spent a lot of time in clubs. He was held in the Dallas County jail for almost two years until the case went to trial in 2017. Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. Former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch is one of the most infamous doctors ever brought to trial in a criminal case, and with good reason. Christopher Duntsch - Wikipedia Duntsch continued to medicate Morguloff with prescription pain killers and ignored the change in his condition. Duntsch also removed so much bone and muscle tissue from Summers' neck that his head was no longer secure on his body. [13] In 2010, Duntsch moved to Dallas. Where Is Christopher Duntsch Now After His Appearance on - Distractify [4] Mayfield died of COVID-19 in February 2021; according to his wife, he had been vulnerable to the virus due to complications caused by Duntsch's botched surgeries.
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