Duntsch had his surgical rights temporarily suspended after his botched surgery on Summers and his first patient back was 55-year-old Kellie Martin. Lee Passmore was thirty-seven and worked as a field agent for the Collin County medical examiner. Lazar was scathingly critical of Duntsch's work. Nicknamed "Dr. Death," the story of Duntsch's egregious medical crimes and the healthcare system that failed so many by allowing him to practice received the podcast treatment in 2018 from Wondery, the team behind "Dirty John.". You'd like to think . and Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee Health Center. He died in 2021 of an infection related to complications from Duntsch's operation. But based on documents gathered by the DA, when Duntsch finished his residency, he had operated fewer than 100 times. "[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. After 13 days of trial, the jury needed only four hours to convict him for the maiming of Efurd, and on February 20, 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison. But when he awoke and was experiencing extreme pain, Dr. Duntsch said that surgery had been a success and there had been no complications. 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. If you had back pain, and had tried everything else, Dr. Duntsch could give you the spine surgery that would take your pain away. 5 years after 'Dr. Death,' doctors still come to Texas to leave pasts The suit alleged that Baylor Plano made an average net profit of $65,000 on every spinal surgery performed by Duntsch. Licensed to kill: lawsuit seeks to overturn Texas hospital shield law 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 Duntsch was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 patients in less than two years before his license was revoked by the .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 thought it was odd that Duntsch wasn't working at Baylor Plano anymore, so he called his insurance company, who stated Christopher Duntsch was in good standing. Peacock's Dr. Death is a chilling dramatization of the real-life story of former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch. So, Summers used the only thing he had left, his voice, to scream and yell, even telling the nurses that he and Duntsch had done an eight ball of cocaine the night before his surgery. Robert Lowes. Base compensation was $600,000 a year for two years, beginning on June 14, 2011. He earned his M.D. 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. Now, one of the several complaints against the . 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. One day, he happened to see a fax come in to the medical examiner's office. Is Dr. Death on Netflix? Where to watch Dr. Death online 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. Anatomy of a Tragedy: The Story Behind 'Sociopath Surgeon' Christopher The last charge was for the maiming and paralyzing of Efurd. 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. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! It was Duntsch, babbling about his family being in danger. Jerry Summers, who grew up with Christopher Duntsch in Tennessee, was left a quadriplegic after agreeing to let "Dr. Death" operate on his neck. 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. A Texas jury found Christopher Duntsch guilty Feb. 14 of maiming patients who had turned to him for surgery to resolve debilitating injuries. B. Ellis Unit outside Huntsville. Texas law states that hospitals are liable for damages caused by doctors in their facilities only if the plaintiff can prove that the hospital acted with "malice"that is, the hospital knew of the extreme risk and ignored itin credentialing a doctor. However, it wouldnt be long until Duntschs seemingly perfect career began to unravel. The nursing staff put down towels to soak it up. "If he wasn't doing research, he was out with Jerry Summers, partying," Morgan said in her deposition. 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. August 28, 2013, 2:01 . 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, In May 2013, Dr. Randall Kirby was invited to a dinner by University General Hospital to meet their new neurosurgeon, Dr. Duntsch. 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. [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. No show's ever made you as terrified of doctors as 'Dr. Death' will Written by Patrick Macmanus, the show will only be available exclusively on Peacock. 12 Unnerving Facts About Dr. Death Christopher Duntsch - Ranker On December 30, 2011, Duntsch operated on Lee Passmore. Dr. Death in surgery. [19] Prosecutors sought a sentence long enough to ensure that Duntsch would never be able to practice medicine again. Before his license was revoked by the Texas Medical Board, he was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 . Christopher Duntsch was a neurosurgeon who radiated confidence. 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 problem was that Dallas Medical Center did not perform those or even have the proper equipment to do them. She came in to have two vertebrae fused, but when she woke up she experienced severe pain and couldnt stand. The surgery was supposed to take less than 45 minutes and ultimately lasted over four hours. 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 . The charismatic neurosurgeon was actually a successful researcher before he starting killing people in the operating . 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. The sponge triggered a severe blood-borne infection that caused Glidewell to become septic. The True Story Of Christopher Duntsch, The Killer Surgeon Known As Dr. Did Christopher Duntsch Have Any Successful Surgeries? The first screening came back diluted with tap water, but a second, taken a few days later, came back clean. She was moved to the ICU and died due to blood loss. Death. Could you take care of it?" [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. In a long running series of complaints, a Texas doctor has been found guilty of a felony in one medical malpractice case. [7], While in Memphis, Duntsch began a long-term relationship with Wendy Renee Young. 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. "It's on the butt cheek of his scrubs. Did Christopher Duntsch have a wife and kids? Who Is Christopher Duntsch, The Man Nicknamed 'Dr. Death' Who Injured February 22, 2017. [40][41] On May 8, 2019, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused Duntschs petition for discretionary review. But, he can only walk 30 feet at a time and cannot stand for more than a few minutes. With Brown still in the ICU, Duntsch took another patient into surgery that morning. 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. His pain management specialist advised against an operation but referred him to a neurosurgeon named Christopher Duntsch. Donald Duntsch was a gridiron football standout in Montana, and . Baylor Plano allowed Duntsch to continue operating despite the documented issues with Kenneth Fennell, Mary Efurd, Lee Passmore, and Barry Morguloff's surgeries. However, things soon went south. Duntsch filed a patent for the technology, and he listed himself as one of the inventors even though he had not discovered it. Duntsch earned his undergraduate degree in 1995 and enrolled at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Duntsch continued to medicate Morguloff with prescription pain killers and ignored the change in his condition. Brown was left in a coma for hours before Duntsch finally acquiesced to her transfer. The Texas Medical Board would later conclude that Brown died of excessive blood loss and a stroke, according to The Texas Observer . However, during training for neurosurgery he followed a research path and did fewer operations than most trainees. Kirby warned him again that it was only a matter of time. Was Wendy Renee Young Dr. Death's Wife? - Heavy.com Once, he stopped by to pick up some paperwork. Christopher Duntsch - AKA Dr. Death - spent 18 months as a practicing surgeon at multiple Texas hospitals until he had his license revoked in 2013. The two went back to Duntsch's home and danced under a disco ball he had in his office. He ran two labs, gained experience writing grants, and earned more than $3 million in funding for research projects. Christopher Duntsch | True Crime Buzz | Oxygen Official Site Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana on April 3, 1971. Glidewell is still in constant pain and has undergone more than 50 procedures to correct the damage left by Duntsch. Duntsch boasted to his assistant and mistress, Kimberly Morgan, that he was " ready to leave the love and kindness and goodness and patience that I mix with everything else that I am and become a cold-blooded killer." Caroline is a writer and Florida-transplant currently living in New York City. 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. They didn't have enough evidence to stop him because he hadn't done anything wrong yet. Dr. Phil airs on weekdays. [13] In 2010, Duntsch moved to Dallas. Christopher was raised along with his three younger siblings in a wealthy suburb in Memphis, Tennessee. Out of his 38 surgeries, only three had no complications. Dhruv Trivedi. According to his lawyers, Duntsch had not realized how poorly he had performed as a surgeon until he heard the prosecution experts tell the jury about his many blunders on the operating table. He said even a person with the most basic sense of human anatomy would know they were operating in the wrong area. In January 2013, Kenneth Fennell was scheduled for another operation because he was still experiencing extreme pain in his back. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. [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. However, Baylor did not fire him; instead, he was allowed to resign. Veteran vascular surgeon Randall Kirby recalled that Duntsch frequently boasted about his abilities despite being so new to the area. Passmore told D Magazine during an interview that he is uncomfortable receiving any attention but knows he must do so if anyone is going to listen. The Peacock limited series, based on the Wondery podcast, covers the true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (played by Joshua Jackson ), whose surgical career ruined the lives of numerous people . Duntsch is at the O. [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. Those words continue to haunt her, and she's tormented by the knowledge that her endorsement caused others to select Duntsch themselves. Typically, neurosurgery residents participate in over 1,000 surgeries in the course of their residency.