The first screening came back diluted with tap water, but a second, taken a few days later, came back clean. They met with an assistant DA but got little traction. Trusty would later find out there was no award and it had just been a paid advertisement. 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. He later appealed his case, but lost when his conviction was upheld 2-1 in the Fifth District Court of Appeals . 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. She was left with just one vocal cord. 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. In October 2011, she registered articles of incorporation to form Duntsch's practice, the Texas Neurosurgical Institute. When Henderson opened the freshly made incisions on her, he was appalled. Dubbed "Dr. Death," the case gained national attention, revealing Just weeks after permanently maiming Morguloff, Dr. Duntsch operated on his lifelong friend and roommate, Jerry Summers. 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. 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. After this look at Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. 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. Death'? Prosecutors sought a sentence long enough to ensure that Duntsch would never be able to practice medicine again. His father, Donald, was a physical therapist and Christian missionary, and his mother, Susan, was a schoolteacher. It was. 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. Dr. Christopher Duntsch became the subject of a Peacock original series for all the wrong reasons. But soon his patients started to experience complications, and the system failed to protect them. Duntsch is a serial maimer and killer. Dr. Duntsch said to Cheney, "I don't know why you're this way. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! As a result, Summers lost almost 1,200 mL of blood. Over this period, Duntsch performed back surgeries that left his patients in a worse condition, paralyzed, or deceased. 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. Duntsch is a former Dallas neurosurgeon who, through . However, Baylor did not fire him; instead, he was allowed to resign. 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. Death. WFAA-TVChristopher Duntsch a.k.a. 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. His sophomore year, he made it as one of the few walk-on players. 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. [46], Dr. Death, a TV mini-series based on the podcast, began streaming on Peacock on July 15, 2021. Before his license was revoked by the Texas Medical Board, he was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 . 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. Young let him buy her an appletini, and they felt a connection; eventually, she went home with Duntsch. He will be up for parole in 2045, when he is 74 years old. Death.. Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. Baylor wanted Duntsch operating quickly and often so they could be reimbursed for the monies they had advanced to him. i feel much better now ! Texas Attorney General 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. Jeff Cheney later learned that part of his spinal cord had been cut during the operation. Could you take care of it?" [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. 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. After the operation, Brown woke up and seemed fine, but early the following day; she lost consciousness. [9][24][19][7] After several days, Kirby was brought in to repair the damage and later described what he found after opening Glidewell back up as the work of a "crazed maniac". They talked about marriage quickly, and they moved in together within three months. Many of his patients suffered severe spinal cord damage, resulting in paralysis and pain severe enough to render painkillers ineffective. Donald Duntsch was a gridiron football standout in Montana, and Christopher was determined to follow in those footsteps. For instance, he upbraided him for missing the signs that Martin was bleeding out, saying that, "You can't not know [that] and be a neurosurgeon. He claimed he was the best in Dallas. The television series Dr. Death based on the incident, began streaming on Peacock in July 2021. On May 24, 2011, Christopher Duntsch signed a physician services agreement with Rimlawi and Won's Minimally Invasive Spine Institute (MISI) in Dallas. Christopher Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison in February 2017 for his heinous acts. [9][10], Duntsch had severed Brown's vertebral artery, and refused to abort despite the massive blood loss. 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. Dr. Death, read about how reckless surgeon Robert Liston killed his patient and two bystanders. Duntsch moved to Denver, Colorado, and went into a downward spiral. Cheney recalled wondering why a neurosurgeon with such outstanding credentials would be operating at a lower-tiered hospital on the way to his surgery. Duntsch is the first physician sentenced to life in prison for his actions while practicing medicine. Those words continue to haunt her, and she's tormented by the knowledge that her endorsement caused others to select Duntsch themselves. In effect, plaintiffs have to prove a tough case without access to the necessary hospital records. The story of Dr. Death, Christopher Duntsch, feels like something out of a movie or book. He is currently appealing this sentence. "[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. Before he was "Dr. Death" on Wondery's hit 2018 podcast, disgraced former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch was a student at Colorado State University. 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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." He will not be eligible for parole until 2045, when he will be 74-years-old. Three holes had been poked into Efurd's spinal column where Duntsch had tried and failed to insert screws. Duntsch moved into a five-bedroom house not far from the hospital. A CT scan would later reveal that Efurds nerve root had been amputated, there were several screw holes nowhere near where they were supposed to be, and one screw had been lodged in another nerve root. The indictments were made four months before the statute of limitations ran out. Baylor officials took Summers' accusation seriously and ordered Duntsch to take a drug test. Premiering Thursday on . 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. After he arrived in town, he secured a deal with the Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano and was given surgical rights at the hospital. Peacock's new grisly drama tells the real-life story of Dallas-area neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, who killed or maimed more than 30 patients in the 2010s. Dr. Death (2021 TV series) Dr. Death is an American crime drama miniseries created by Patrick Macmanus, based on the podcast of the same name, focusing on the titular Christopher Duntsch, a neurosurgeon who became infamous for permanently mutilating his patients, killing two of them. [42] The four hospitals that employed Duntsch have ongoing civil cases against him. Dr. Death in surgery. His case is receiving renewed attention in the media. 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. [44] The Dallas County district attorney's office called it "a historic case with respect to prosecuting a doctor who had done wrong during surgery. 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. Kenneth Fennell, the first patient Duntsch operated on at Baylor Plano, was left with chronic pain after Duntsch operated on the wrong part of his back. 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." Chris Dozois, a fellow linebacker with the Rams, recalled Duntsch struggling, even with basic drills, but begging to run them over and over until he got it right. Kirby, Henderson, and another doctor decided to contact the district attorney, convinced that Duntsch's malpractice was so egregious it was criminal. His name appeared on several papers and patents, and he took part in a number of biotech startups. Dr. Rimlawi called Baylor Plano and advised them against continuing a relationship with Christopher Duntsch, but this fell to deaf ears. 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 . Duntsch's defense blamed their client's actions on poor training and lack of hospital oversight. D MagazineChristopher Duntsch a.k.a. Peacock's Dr. Death is a chilling dramatization of the real-life story of former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch. Base compensation was $600,000 a year for two years, beginning on June 14, 2011. The charismatic neurosurgeon was actually a successful researcher before he starting killing people in the operating . executive producer explains how Christopher Duntsch could have avoided prison. He moved in with his parents in Colorado and filed for bankruptcy, claiming around one million dollars in debt. Dr. Duntsch assured Muse that the pain was normal and prescribed him, strong pain killers, causing him to spiral into an addiction. Death'? Her husband could not hold himself up; he had no support of his own and could barely speak. He is not eligible for parole until 2045, when he will be 74 years old. "If he wasn't doing research, he was out with Jerry Summers, partying," Morgan said in her deposition. Now, a podcast called Dr. Death is breaking down the deranged surgeon's criminal acts and shows how drug abuse and blinding overconfidence led to big trouble for the patients who found themselves underneath the spiraling doctor's knife.. In my opinion, we had a serial killer in our medical community, Dr. Randall Kirbysays of Christopher Duntsch in "Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story.". "It's on the butt cheek of his scrubs. Ellis Unit outside of Huntsville, Texas. The operation should have taken less than ninety minutes; it ultimately lasted four and a half hours. He had a bedroom upstairs in their Plano house. "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 . No diagnostic imaging studies were ordered, and no reasonable explanation was offered for his condition. For the last three days, jurors listened to testimony in the . Donald Duntsch was a gridiron football standout in Montana, and . Efurd was left paralyzed. When Jerry Summers woke up, he couldn't move his arms or legs. Summers asked Duntsch to fix his chronic neck pain from a high school football injury that had gotten worse after a car accident. 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. By this time, Jerry Summers, his childhood friend, had moved from Tennessee to live with Duntsch. 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 . Learn more. Christopher Duntsch was nicknamed Dr. Death due to the injuries he caused his patients. During his short tenure, he spent little time in the operating room. It told the unfortunately true story of Doctor Christopher Duntsch, who was eventually sentenced to life in prison for maiming an elderly patient. Since receiving his life sentence, Dr Death is currently housed in the O.B. Ellis Unit prison in Huntsville, Texas. [4], Early in his tenure at Baylor Plano, Duntsch made a poor impression on his fellow surgeons. Legacy Surgery Center in Frisco (now Frisco Ambulatory Surgery Center). From 2017: https://bit.ly/3hXJccx Christopher Duntsch - AKA Dr. Death - spent 18 months as a practicing surgeon at multiple Texas hospitals until he had his license revoked in 2013.
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