Death, Surgery Records. Was this a way of keeping the University of Tennessee's ranking up? Dr. Death might not have cared about being a surgeon, just the prestige that came with it. The original patent still holds, and hopefully, Discgenics would be able to break out of the Dr. Death shadow todo some real anti-cancer work instead. [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. Efurd was left paralyzed. School librarian Kellie Martin, 55, died during a routine back operation after Duntsch punctured a blood vessel. I think everybody in the OR became pretty concerned because Dr. Duntsch was pulling a lot of muscle tissue out of Jerrys neck and there was just a lot of bleeding, Shughart, (portrayed in the series byAnnaSophia Robb), said of the surgery. Swango is estimated to have been involved in as many as 60 fatal poisonings of patients and colleagues, though he admitted to causing only four deaths. Death'? After this late-night party,Duntsch went to work the next morning. 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 surgery had left him unable to move his arms and legs, making him a quadriplegic. Anatomy of a Tragedy - The Texas Observer However, the procedure resulted in catastrophic consequences; Summers suffered a vertebral artery dissection that caused paralysis from the neck down and left him a quadriplegic. There's so much news out there, headlines can slip through the cracks. But was he just an inadequate addict? He declared bankruptcy after listing debts of over $1 million. During his trial, it was revealed that Dr. Duntsch had disregarded safety protocols and deviated from accepted surgical practices when operating on Summers, leading to his tragic outcome. While the school refused to verify or deny his claims, he wasn't in any of the yearbooks of that time. Was Dr Christopher Duntsch board certified? That seems like something that goes far beyond. Mary Efurd was one of these victims; she underwent surgery to treat her back pain in July 2012 but instead suffered an irreparable spinal cord injury that left her permanently paralyzed from the neck down. Death, was a neurosurgeon from Dallas, Texas who had a promising career in medicine until it took a disastrous turn. Many ofDuntsch's patient-turned-victims filed malpractice suits, according to Dallas News. [16] In 2021, he was profiled on CNBC's American Greed.[4][49]. And who will Dr. Death be? There are a lot of explanations proposed for why the real-life subject of Peacocks Dr. But as the ultimate betrayal, some doctors violate this code of conduct in the worst possible ways. He was running research labs and had ambitions of becoming a successful surgeon, but thigs soon took a turn for the worse. They had discovered stem cells in human brain tumors. When he finally came to the hospital, he busied himself with another patient, also on the DA's list, Mary Efurd. He attempted to fuse together vertebrae in his neck, but the surgery went drastically wrong and left Summers a quadriplegic. We tried everything we could but, you know, it took a long time to get the boat moving in the right direction and unfortunately there were some patients that were injured as a part of it, Kirby told American Greed.. (But he was clearly poorly trained with an ego the size of Tennessee). A lot of people seem to think its a mix between narcissism and inadequacy. He was even more certain of his brilliance at the end than he was at the beginning, Joshua Jackson tells TheWrap, (Warning: This post contains spoilers through the finale of Peacocks Dr. Duntschs case also caught the eye of Dallas County prosecutors, who charged the surgeon with injuring an elderly patient in connection with Efurds case. His father, Donald, was a physical therapist and Christian missionary, and his mother, Susan, was a schoolteacher. 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. "Dr. Death" is about Christopher Duntsch, an accredited but incompetent Dallas neurosurgeon, whose wrongdoing was close to butchery. One of the early investors in Duntsch's company Discgenics was Dr. Rand Page. Christopher Duntsch was allowed to perform more than 30 botched surgeries in DFW over the course of two years before finally having his license revoked. Before his license was revoked by the Texas Medical Board, he was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 . And of course, there are many in the medical field who go above and beyond the call of duty. Base compensation was $600,000 a year for two years, beginning on June 14, 2011. There are 31 people left alive today, irreparably damaged by Dr. Death's grievous malpractices. Duntsch will not be eligible for parole until 2045, when he will be 74. [18] Despite this, Duntsch was retained by South Hampton when new owners bought it and renamed it University General Hospital. Yet they let him resign and passed the bill along for someone else to pay. And Patrick [Macmanus, the Dr. [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. Or was Duntsch just good at hiding his true self? Duntsch could have turned it into something good and meaningful. "Dr. Death"and the companion docuseries "Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story" are both available to stream on Peacock now. Her response echoed what she shared on the podcast. Typically, neurosurgery residents participate in over 1,000 surgeries in the course of their residency. In an article in Texas Observer,author SaulElbein says that one of the doctors he spoke to likened Duntsch to Hannibal Lecter three times in eight minutes. Christopher Daniel Duntsch (born April 3, 1971) [1] is a former American neurosurgeon who has been nicknamed Dr. D. and Dr. Death [2] for gross malpractice resulting in the maiming of several patients' spines and two deaths while working at hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. His resume is about 12 pages long, so he looks really good on paper, exactly the kind of doctor that youd be looking for, Michelle Shughart, assistant district attorney in Dallas County told CNBC's American Greed earlier this year in an episode chronicling Duntschs briefand deadlycareer in Texas. But that isn't the scariest part. Lopez answers Henderson's frustrationin a somber tone, sayingthat while you may know a doctor is bad, gathering evidence takes time. By this time his wife and he had separated and he also filed for bankruptcy. In it,was a mirror with cocaine and a rolled-up dollar bill on top. After moving to Dallas, Texas in 2011 to practice medicine, reports started coming in about patients whose surgeries were botched by Duntsch resulting in severe injuries or even death. Death viewers. The real question isn't why Dr. Duntsch did what he did. From the top of his class to life in prison: things did not go as he planned. The Right Way to Mix Acids and Water: Always Add Acid to Water! The company, Discgenics, is still going, and still holds the patents, listingDuntsch, Ignatova, and Kukekov as the inventors. After learning thatDuntsch had continued to botch procedures at other facilities, Kirby packaged up a review of five of his cases and sent a desperate plea to the medical board. [8] Duntsch returned home to attend Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis). The True Story Behind Peacock's 'Dr. Death' | Time Passmore says the space above a disc in his lower spine had been blown out in the first surgery, and Duntsch returned to . Premise: Based on the podcast of the same name, the limited series tells the true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (Joshua Jackson), a Dallas surgeon who left more than 30 patients dead or permanently injured until two doctors (Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater) and an Assistant District Attorney (AnnaSophia Robb) work to stop him. Baylor asked him to resign immediately. [40][41] On May 8, 2019, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused Duntschs petition for discretionary review. [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. [4] [19], Despite both of his surgeries at Dallas Medical Center going catastrophically awry, hospital officials did not report him to the NPDB. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. The evidence said otherwise. [38][39] On December 10, 2018, the Texas Court of Appeals affirmed Duntsch's conviction by a 21 split decision. In addition, he was mixed up with an addiction to cocaine and other drugs, with peers reporting that he would go on all-night benders before operating the next day. She suffered a stroke as a result. 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. 38. Many shake and tremble, some have unimaginable pain. [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". Christopher Daniel Duntsch is a former neurosurgeon nicknamed Dr. Death for the murder of two of his patients and the maiming of 30 others while working at hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. This May Be the Most Horrifying Surgery Story You've Ever Heard Why Did Dr. Death Do It? 'Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story' Explains I received word today that Jerry Summers has passed away. The sponge triggered a severe blood-borne infection that caused Glidewell to become septic. [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. His license gone, Duntsch went off the rails. [7] He likened what he found when he opened Efurd up to the results of a child playing with Tinkertoys or an erector set. As Dr. Duntsch was Board Certified to do brain and spinal surgery. That statement is blatantly untrue and the ABNS has written to the Oxygen network and its parent companies to demand a correction. The next year, in 2006, Duntsch became more money-minded. At the time, Kane was dating Jerry Summer, a childhood friend of Duntsch. They argued that Duntsch was motivated to continue operating because the lucrative salary of a neurosurgeon would solve his mounting financial problems. [9] Duntsch's defense blamed their client's actions on poor training and lack of oversight by the hospitals. They also believed that 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. Christopher Duntsch, is responsible for paralyzing two patients in Texas over the course of two years through botched operations. [36] On February 20, 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison. Christopher Duntsch was just a regular guy who became Dr. Death after he decided to be a neurosurgeon. The story of Duntsch is featured in a new Peacock show titled Dr. Death, unleashing the terrifying reality. The majority of neurosurgery residents participate in over 1,000 surgeries throughout their residency period. By this time, Duntsch was almost penniless, and the judge had to appoint a lawyer for him. Christopher Duntsch. The Wondery podcast Dr. Death broke down Duntsch's career and his various crimes. Dr. Duntschs scrubs had a hole in them because he chose not to wear underwear while performing medical procedures. According to him, Duntsch had a "great work ethic" and no areas of weakness. How Do You Get Rid Of Hiccups In 5 Seconds. Since no one else knew what was wrong, they couldn't save her. Duntsch never completed (and barely even started) the rigorous ABNS Certification process. And what stops another physicianfrom turning into the next Dr. Death? 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]. While well never know exactly why Dr. Death did it until he speaks publicly on it, which he has continued to refuse to do, we can continue to theorize. Those are the words that Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a Dallas neurosurgeon, wrote to his girlfriend in 2011 in the midst of a two-year period that left 33 of his 38 patients maimed, wounded or . ", "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. [30], Henderson and Kirby feared that Duntsch could move elsewhere and still theoretically get a medical license. After his arrest, he still had those loving parents. 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=1149133921, American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Texas, University of Tennessee Health Science Center alumni, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. So the hospitals he worked for knew of his carelessness and sociopathic behavior in the OR. Dr. Duntschs last patient was Jeff Glidewell, a patient at Baylor-Plano who had been treated by Duntsch in 2013. Some never went to trial and had out-of-court settlements. Is it Safe To Jump On A Trampoline While Pregnant? With such goings-on, Duntsch got himself kicked out of his own company. It stars Joshua Jackson as Duntsch, and it will also feature Christian Slater and Alec Baldwin.. Twins Ava Marie And Leah Rose In Profile, The Link Between B Complex Vitamins and Anxiety Examined, Khalil Paynes Redemption: Black Lightnings Heartbreaking Finale. Their suffering becomes yours. Dr. Death's Christopher Duntsch Is Now Serving a Life Sentence Through his career, reports of him doing rounds under the influence were commonplace. And when this podcast tells you all the gory details, you become that patient. The board called in veteran neurosurgeon Martin Lazar to review the case. The eight-episode series is anticipated to be a thrilling watch. 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. [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. The docuseries aims to show the real people who were harmed by Dr. Death, some of whom are still alive today to share their stories. 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. According to Dallas Magazine, a woman named Megan Kane remembered how Duntsch partied with her onhis birthday. He proved to be Duntsch's last surgery; University General pushed him out soon afterward. [9] Texas Medical Board Revocation Order. Dr. Henderson (Alec Baldwin), Dr. Kirby (Christian Slater) and the nurse Josh Baker, played by Hubert Point-Du Jour, these are the professionals who are speaking up. Yet, instead of saving lives and using his knowledge for good, the opposite happened. This led to another 20 patients suffering. But the media definitely played its part sending Dr. Death where he rightfully belongs, life in prison. And professional marketing videos got him ready and willing patients. 33 of his 37 surgeries were botched, with two dead and 31 injured for life. Not only did he harm his patients, but he kept trying to practice. When Mary Efurd could no longer walk, Dallas Medical Center called in Dr. Henderson to salvage the botched surgery. [18] He damaged patient Philip Mayfield's spinal cord, drilling into it and leaving him partially paralyzed from the neck down. Philip Mayfield, one of Christopher Duntsch's patients, who was paralyzed after his surgery. And how many other doctors who arent as insane as Dr. Duntsch like, there are multiple seasons of Dr. Death, was a neurosurgeon whose career started off with promise but quickly went downhill due to his involvement in numerous botched surgeries leaving several of his patients permanently injured or dead. She, after being in Duntsch's OR, would never walk again. Out of his 38 surgeries, only three had no complications. It was as if he knew everything to do, Henderson, (played by Alec Baldwin in the Peacock series) toldProPublica, and then hed done virtually everything wrong.. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Duntsch left Dallas Medical Center, but once again was not reported to the national data bankbecause he was not a full staff member and only worked there using temporary privileges. If you listened to #DrDeath you know his story. The Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education has strict rules about residency programs. The monster in the white coat is all too real. In 2014, they performed a complicated spinal fusion surgery on Glidewell, which ultimately ended up being Dr. Duntschs final surgery before he was arrested and charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault. Peacock has released 'Dr. At Health Grades Duntsch had 4.3 out of 5 stars, "above [the] national average." He is absolutely a narcissistic sociopath. Its easier for a hospital to just kick the can down the road and let the doctor become some other hospitals problem than to risk backlash from the doctor, she said. After a lengthy investigation by the Texas Medical Board and the Dallas County District Attorneys Office, Dr. Duntsch was arrested on August 19th, 2015 and charged with five counts of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. Meanwhile, his patients kept suffering, and dying, in his OR. The damage is irreversible. (And if you want to dive even deeper into the story, you can also watch the new docuseries "Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story" on Peacock, which features interviews with numerous people intimately involved in the case.). As a result, Duntsch was removed from his role as founder, president, and chief science officer at DiscGenics, Inc., as well as his seat on the board. Peacocks Free tier includes 7,500 hours of ad-supported programming, including next-day access to episodes of first-year NBC shows, as well as a rotating lineup of classic films and television series. Of course, this is a year where were celebrating doctors and nurses and theyre the heroes of our story. During his second surgery at the new hospital, Duntsch lacerated a blood vessel supplying blood to his patient Floella Browns brain and she died after Duntschs efforts to repair the laceration failed. He is a graduate of Evangelical Christian School in the Cordova suburb of Memphis, where he starred in football.[7]. Duntsch also received 40 percent of all revenue he generated beyond $800,000 each year. Baylor didn't terminate Duntsch instead they allowedhim to resign his privileges. Probably not, Robb added. This is notably weird, considering Christopher Duntsch trained underDr. Boop, so you'd assume that theyoperated together as part of the whole learning surgery process. [33][34] The indictments were made four months before the statute of limitations were to run out. And you are one of the lucky ones." CHRISTOPER Duntsch, also known as Dr. Death, was a doctor who seriously harmed and killed patients during surgeries in hospitals across Texas. 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. To fellow surgeon Mark Hoyle, he said, "Everybody's doing it wrong. This True Crime Podcast Follows One Baby Jane Doe Case That Leads to Another Mystery (EXCLUSIVE), A Commune Goes Viral on TikTok Now, Former Members Are Speaking Out (EXCLUSIVE), The Botched Investigation of Heather Bogle's Murder Put a Detective Behind Bars. During this time period, he was accused of recklessly endangering the lives of at least 33 patients, causing serious injury to five patients, and killing two others through his negligent care. The Dr. Death true story reveals that neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duntsch injured 33 out of 38 patients that he saw over a span of less than two years. [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. Brown was left in a coma for hours before Duntsch finally acquiesced to her transfer. Duntsch suggested drilling a hole in Brown's head to relieve the pressure, but was refused permission. Whatever Duntsch set out to be when he first donned that white coat, being a media sensation for all the wrong reasons may not have been his goal. He harmed the very people who trusted him. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Instead of performing the miracles he promised for his patients, he injured33 out of 38 of the people in his carein less than two years. I think the way that his ego was constructed especially weirdly, and I guess this is just narcissistic personality, the more untrue it gets, the more you hold onto that truth. I mean, he had some surgeries, he had a handful of surgeries that went fine. 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. With Ignatova and Kukekov in tow, he filed patents under a company he founded. However, he had such a big ego that he never thought he could fail. ", "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? He refused to abort the surgery even after a trauma surgeon colleague and an anesthesiologist warned him about the blood loss. 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. Due to his actions, Brown suffered a stroke that night, but Duntsch didn't responded to hospital pages. Dr. Robert Henderson, a spinal surgeon who later took over Efurds care, would later testify that Duntsch had operated in the wrong place in her back, amputated a nerve root and botched the implantation of a device meant to stabilize her spine. The financial incentives are a huge part of what was driving him and what was driving the people all around to continue to believe in him in and invest in him despite the fact that there were all these red flags, Shugart said of Duntsch'sability to continue to gain employment. Malicious intent? [23][19][24], While operating on Efurd, Duntsch severed one of her nerve roots during spinal fusion surgery while operating on the wrong portion of her back, twisted a screw into another nerve, left screw holes on the opposite side of her spine, failed to remove the disc he was supposed to remove, and left surgical hardware in her muscle tissue so loose that it moved when touched. There are multiple seasons of poor oversight and hospitals who dont necessarily want to deal with the consequences. Jodi Smith. "[20][4] Under heavy lobbying from Kirby and Henderson, the Texas Medical Board suspended Duntsch's license on June 26, 2013. [6], Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana and spent most of his youth in Memphis, Tennessee. Another patient, 74-year-old Mary Efurd, wokeup from her procedurescreaming in pain and couldnt bear weight on her legs after her surgery. Dr. Death, a.k.a. He then packed it with too much of a substance intended to stop the bleeding. He later told Glidewell that it was clear Duntsch had tried to kill him. Christopher Duntsch: The Remorseless Killer Surgeon Called 'Dr. Death' Once back in the operating room, his work resulted in the same deadly consequences, according to Texas Medical Board records. Victim of Real-Life 'Dr. Death' Believes There Are Others Like Him Out
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