His name appeared on several papers and patents, and he took part in a number of biotech startups. Updated Dec 9, 2022 at 3:25pm. The day that Brown suffered her stroke, Duntsch operated again. In October 2011, she registered articles of incorporation to form Duntsch's practice, the Texas Neurosurgical Institute. Dr. Passmore met with Dr. Duntsch and was impressed by his confidence; he would fix him. D Magazine gave him the nickname in . When he arrived, Nurse Kyle Kissinger spotted a hole in Duntsch's scrubs. Dr. Duntsch came from a good family and showed considerable potential at medical school. [6], Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana and spent most of his youth in Memphis, Tennessee. among the top 12 percent of medical school graduates in his class named to the elite Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. 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 . No one can pay to remove ratings. [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". Her husband could not hold himself up; he had no support of his own and could barely speak. [33][34] The indictments were made four months before the statute of limitations were to run out. It had come from Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. 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. Part of the problem was being able to prove that Duntsch's actions were willful as defined by Texas law. Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana on April 3, 1971. 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. The sponge triggered a severe blood-borne infection that caused Glidewell to become septic. Death', "Texas Jury Imposes Life Sentence on Neurosurgeon", "The Making and Breaking of Dr. "Christopher Duntsch" (Dr. Death)", "Season 14 of CNBC's 'American Greed' Premieres Monday, January 18 at 10PM", Dr. Death: The Texas Surgeon Who Paralyzed his Patients, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christopher_Duntsch&oldid=1139253982. Board chairman Irwin Zeitzler later said that complications in neurosurgery were more common than most think. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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 stalled at first, telling administrators he got lost on the way to the lab. 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. Over this period, Duntsch performed back surgeries that left his patients in a worse condition, paralyzed, or deceased. When Henderson opened the freshly made incisions on her, he was appalled. Efurd eventually gained back some control and mobility, but she now uses a wheelchair and suffers chronic pain. Death.. One day, he happened to see a fax come in to the medical examiner's office. Chahadeh was worried about his facility and getting sued by Duntsch; he said to Dr. Kirby that they had already given him privileges. "[32][9] ADA Michelle Shughart, who led the prosecution of Duntsch, later recalled that Henderson, Kirby, and Lazar contacted her demanding to testify against Duntsch; according to Shughart, doctors almost never testify against each other. 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. Kirby was shocked; he called the owner of University General and warned him that Duntsch would hurt someone, and the hospital would be over. 3-Jeff Glidewell, another victim of Duntsch's. 4-Michelle Shugart, the woman who brought this all to fruition . Jerry Summers, who grew up with Christopher Duntsch in Tennessee, was left a quadriplegic after agreeing to let "Dr. Death" operate on his neck. The Dallas district attorney's office subpoenaed every hospital on Duntsch's CV for records of his surgeries. A neurosurgeon in Dallas, Texas, who once described himself as a "stone cold killer" was sentenced to life in prison on February 20 for maiming a woman named Mary . Learn more. She suffered a stroke as a result. "After building a flourishing neurosurgery practice, everything suddenly changes when patients entering Dr. Duntsch's operating room for complex but routine spinal surgeries start leaving permanently disabled or dead. "Something was wrong," Dr. Rimlawi said, "whether it be impairment from drugs, alcohol, mental illness, or a combination of all three." Despite several warnings from his colleagues that he was not doing the surgery correctly and was attempting to put screws into muscle rather than bone, Duntsch persisted. Dubbed "Dr. Death," the case gained national attention, revealing [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]. Advertisements. In 2017, Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of maiming one of his patients. Philip Mayfield, one of Christopher Duntschs patients, who was paralyzed after his surgery. [4] In an article for The Texas Prosecutor, the journal of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association, Shughart and the other members of the trial team recalled that their superiors were initially skeptical when they presented the case, but eventually found themselves in "overwhelming disbelief" that a surgeon could do what Duntsch was accused of doing. He decided to turn to neurosurgery, which can be a lucrative field. The hospital initiated another peer review, but Duntsch resigned rather than face certain termination. Lazar was scathingly critical of Duntsch's work. However, on January 6, 2012, a week after the surgery, Dr. Duntsch performed another operation on Passmore. He died in 2021 of an infection related to complications from Duntsch's operation. Next week marks the five-year anniversary of Texas neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch being sentenced to life in prison. [4], Upon applying for work, he looked extremely qualified on paper: he had spent a total of fifteen years in training (medical school, residency and fellowship), and his curriculum vitae was twelve single-spaced pages. Christopher Duntsch Early Life Story, Family Background and Education. [38], Duntsch is housed at the O. The case status is Disposed - Other Disposed. [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. Caroline is a writer and Florida-transplant currently living in New York City. However, he ignored them and proceeded with his scheduled surgery on Efurd. He was sent to a program for impaired physicians when he returned but was allowed to finish his residency. Duntsch also received forty percent of all revenue he generated beyond $800,000 each year. "He said the patient died from having an allergic reaction to the anesthesia." And its all because of one surgeon named Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. They argued that Duntsch was motivated to continue operating because the lucrative salary of a neurosurgeon would solve his mounting financial problems. Officers said he was driving on the left side of the road with two flat tires. [8] Duntsch returned home to attend Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis). The series peers into the torturous crimes of . 0:57. A deranged surgeon runs amok, maiming and killing multiple patients, unhindered by a medical community sworn to police itself. 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. [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 thought surgery might give him some relief and stop his need for drugs. Since Duntsch's departure was technically voluntary, Baylor Plano was under no obligation to report him to the Texas Medical Board or the National Practitioner Data Bank. Dr. Henderson thought the operation on Mary Efurd was so botched that Christopher Duntsch had to be an imposter. At one point, he was only able to eat small bites of food at one time. [36][11][9] For the same reason, prosecutors opted to try Duntsch for Efurd's maiming first. Jerry Summers believed that his best friend Christopher Duntsch was a talented neurosurgeon who would cure his chronic neck pain. He said, "Randy, you were right. The story of Dr. Death, Christopher Duntsch, feels like something out of a movie or book. 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. When other doctors discovered the sponge, Duntsch refused to return to help remove it. Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana and spent most of his youth in Memphis, Tennessee. Duntsch continued to medicate Morguloff with prescription pain killers and ignored the change in his condition. But when he awoke and was experiencing extreme pain, Dr. Duntsch said that surgery had been a success and there had been no complications. i feel much better now ! When Duntsch finally returned on Monday, he was fired. Base compensation was $600,000 a year for two years, beginning on June 14, 2011. Out of his 38 surgeries, only three had no complications. Brown was left in a coma for hours before Duntsch finally acquiesced to her transfer. By this time, Duntsch was almost penniless, and the judge had to appoint a lawyer for him. 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, "[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. Marshall Muse was scheduled to have a disc removed in his back. Duntsch continued operating despite clear signs that Martin was losing massive amounts of blood. Dr. Death, read about how reckless surgeon Robert Liston killed his patient and two bystanders. Death. He knew this couldn't have been a one-time mistake. Death'? Just weeks after permanently maiming Morguloff, Dr. Duntsch operated on his lifelong friend and roommate, Jerry Summers. Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. The indictments were made four months before the statute of limitations ran out. Duntsch had come highly recommended to Fennell and wooed him with boasts that he'd soon be head of Baylor Medical Center's entire neurosurgery department. [31][16] The inquiry went nowhere until 2015, when the statute of limitations on any potential charges was due to run out. 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. Peacock's Dr. Death is a chilling dramatization of the real-life story of former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch. I can't believe that you're accusing me of killing someone,'" Muse recounted. 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. (Dallas County Jail via AP) Gift Article. As part of their investigation, prosecutors obtained a December 2011 email written by Christopher Duntsch. Duntsch moved to Denver, Colorado, and went into a downward spiral. Now, one of the several complaints against the . 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. 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. She also said they snorted cocaine from a small pile he kept on a dresser in his home office. Duntsch is a former neurosurgeon born in 1971 in Montana . ", "Plano's Baylor hospital faces hard questions after claims against former neurosurgeon", "Barry Morguloff's suit against the Baylor Health Care System", "Was Wendy Renee Young Dr. Death's Wife? Homesick, Duntsch left Colorado after a year and transferred to Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis. In 2010, he completed the MDPhD and neurosurgery residency programs at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center,[3] and subsequently completed a spine fellowship program at the Semmes-Murphey Clinic in Memphis. They also believed that the charge would be easy to prove in court; Duntsch had been told repeatedly that he was not placing the hardware in the correct position, and fluoroscopy images from Efurd's surgery proved this. On top of this, he misspelled both Kukekov and Ignatova's names. Before he was "Dr. Death" on Wondery's hit 2018 podcast, disgraced former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch was a student at Colorado State University. The pressure was building inside her brain. Dr. Rimlawi called Baylor Plano and advised them against continuing a relationship with Christopher Duntsch, but this fell to deaf ears. One of the patients who suffered disastrous consequences was Jerry Summers, the boyfriend of Megan Kane and a friend of Christopher Duntsch. 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. 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. For 33 patients of Texas neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, it was a reality. 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. 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. Christopher Duntsch was a neurosurgeon who radiated confidence. Henderson then cleaned out bone fragments and discovered that one of Efurd's nerve roots was gone entirely. To top it all off, he was operating on the wrong portion of her back. Dr. Death was fired before the end of his first week for the damage hed inflicted on Brown and Efurd. Duntsch recommended fusing Morguloff's L5-S1 vertebrae, and the surgery was scheduled for January 11, 2012. Young let him buy her an appletini, and they felt a connection; eventually, she went home with Duntsch. 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. The surgery was supposed to take less than 45 minutes and ultimately lasted over four hours. He was wearing the shirt of his black scrubs, and it was covered in blood. Finally, Dr. Kirby received a call from Hassan Chahadeh. The two went back to Duntsch's home and danced under a disco ball he had in his office. Soon afterward, he severely maimed Jeff Glidewell after mistaking part of his neck muscle for a tumor during a routine cervical fusion, severing one of his vocal cords, cutting a hole in his esophagus and slicing an artery. Jurors convicted Duntsch Tuesday of injury to an elderly person in the botched July 2012 surgery that put Mary Efurd in a wheelchair. He performed only one surgery with the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute. But police say an email Duntsch wrote in 2011 points to his mind-set in the months before he "intentionally, knowingly and . On December 30, 2011, Duntsch operated on Lee Passmore. By this time, Jerry Summers, his childhood friend, had moved from Tennessee to live with Duntsch. Boop said that Duntsch spent his final year as an attending physician and could not operate independently. (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 . They talked about marriage quickly, and they moved in together within three months. Prosecutors sought a sentence long enough to ensure that Duntsch would never be able to practice medicine again. He wrote grants and secured more than $3 million in funding. 0:05. Jeff Glidewell came across Dr. Christopher Duntsch in 2013 while searching for a neurosurgeon . Duntsch is a former Dallas neurosurgeon who, through . At the time, Duntsch was looking for operating prospects in Dallas, San Diego, and New York. Dr. Death in surgery. 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. Although she didn't think much of it and assumed Morgan was helping with research. Kirby, Henderson, and another doctor decided to contact the district attorney, convinced that Duntsch's malpractice was so egregious it was criminal. Dr. Christopher Duntsch appeared to havean impressive resume, but left a trail ofpain and devastation for those who trusted him with their health. Having exhausted his football eligibility, Duntsch decided to switch to a career in medicine. While they were in the lab working, Duntsch went to work raising money for a company he called DiscGenics. Despite his colleagues being [] Over the course of 18-months, the nefarious ex-surgeon performed a spree of botched . The True Story Of Christopher Duntsch, The Killer Surgeon Known As Dr. The sponge triggered a severe blood-borne infection that caused Glidewell to become septic. 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. Finally, the board permanently revoked Duntsch's license on December 6, 2013. We've had a catastrophic event here. He recommended fusing two of her vertebrae and the insertion of "hardware" in her spinal area. Duntsch had also installed hardware into her muscle, not her bone, so loose that it moved when you touched it.