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That's why it really shined down to me," Kissinger said in an interview. Shughart argued that Duntsch should have known he would hurt others unless he changed his approach and that his failure to learn from his past mistakes demonstrated that his maiming of Efurd was intentional. "[45], Wondery Media launched a ten-episode podcast series named Dr. Death, focusing on Duntsch. Summers had a credit card in his name connected to Duntsch's account and would drive him around, balance his checkbooks, and pick up his dry cleaning. [2][4][19][7], Duntsch moved to Dallas Medical Center in Farmers Branch, where he was granted temporary privileges until hospital officials could obtain his records from Baylor Plano. Christopher Duntsch was a neurosurgeon who radiated confidence. The first screening came back diluted with tap water, but a second, taken a few days later, came back clean. While there, he damaged patient Jeff Cheney's spinal cord, leaving him without feeling on the right side of his body. He had a bedroom upstairs in their Plano house. Dr. Death is based on the podcast of the same name, produced by Wondery. DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch has been sentenced to life in prison for a series of botched spinal surgeries, reports CBS . Henderson and Kirby feared that Duntsch could move and theoretically get a medical license in another state. Facebook Wendy Renee Young and Christopher Duntsch. This was the time when Dr. Christopher Duntsch started to turn into Dr. Death. He hoped to play football, but his multiple transfers revoked his eligibility. 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. In 2011, Christopher Duntsch met Wendy Young at the Beauty Shop bar in Memphis. Death. In addition, a neurosurgeon hired to review Brown's case found that Dr. Duntsch had misdiagnosed the source of her pain and was operating in the wrong place. Advertisements. Lee Passmore is still fighting. 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." [7] While operating on Jacqueline Troy, Duntsch cut one of her vocal cords and an artery and also damaged her trachea. Jerry Summers believed that his best friend Christopher Duntsch was a talented neurosurgeon who would cure his chronic neck pain. 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. In 2005, partway through the six-year program, he became the director of the tissue bank. However, the surgery had to be moved to November 14 because Duntsch had failed to order the appropriate surgical hardware and equipment. Baylor Plano allowed Duntsch to continue operating despite the documented issues with Kenneth Fennell, Mary Efurd, Lee Passmore, and Barry Morguloff's surgeries. His CV also conveyed he earned a Ph.D. in microbiology from St. Jude Children's Research Hospitals, graduating summa cum laude. Dr. Randall Kirby, a general and vascular surgeon, assisted with Morguloff. I left with him and believed in him and then, you know, he just kind of fell apart.. Duntsch stuffed Glidewell's throat with a surgical sponge to attempt to stop the bleeding. 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 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. The first season of Dr. Death, which launched in 2018 and ran for seven episodes, examined the life and horrific crimes of Christopher Duntsch. Following his blunders, Duntsch resigned from Baylor Plano in April 2012 before they could fire him. [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. 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 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. The case status is Disposed - Other Disposed. Out of his 38 surgeries, only three had no complications. The series follows two other surgeons, along with . The television series Dr. Death based on the incident, began streaming on Peacock in July 2021. 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. Thankfully, this ended up being Dr. Christopher Duntsch's last operation. By this time, however, Brown was brain dead. Jerry Summers Was 'Dr. Death's' Best Friend. [4] Duntsch also claimed to have graduated magna cum laude from St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital with a doctorate in microbiology a program that the hospital did not offer at the time he allegedly attended. Under heavy lobbying from Kirby and Henderson, the Texas Medical Board suspended Duntsch's license on June 26, 2013. He was a genius. [4], Longtime spine surgeon Robert Henderson performed the salvage surgery on Efurd. When he woke up, he was a quadriplegic with incomplete paralysis. He might have been fired from the Institute but was still a surgeon at Baylor Plano. Christopher Duntsch was just a regular guy who became Dr. Death after he decided to be a neurosurgeon. His father, Donald, was a physical therapist and Christian missionary, and his mother, Susan, was a schoolteacher. Every victim deserves to have their story told, and unfortunately, Christopher Duntsch, aka Dr. Death, has 33. Dr. Phil airs on weekdays. 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. In 2017, Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of maiming one of his patients. Duntsch was fired after he performed a surgery and immediately left for Las Vegas, leaving no one to look after his patient. Did Christopher Duntsch have a wife and kids? A Texas jury found Christopher Duntsch guilty Feb. 14 of maiming patients who had turned to him for surgery to resolve debilitating injuries. The databank was established in 1990 and tracks malpractice payouts and adverse actions against doctors, such as being fired, banned from Medicare, handed a lengthy suspension, or having their license suspended or revoked. Passmore met with Dr. Duntsch and was impressed by his confidence; he would fix him. 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. One of the patients who suffered disastrous consequences was Jerry Summers, the boyfriend of Megan Kane and a friend of Christopher Duntsch. In effect, plaintiffs have to prove a tough case without access to the necessary hospital records. [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. He was smart. Legacy Surgery Center in Frisco (now Frisco Ambulatory Surgery Center). Brown was left in a coma for hours before Duntsch finally acquiesced to her transfer. He stalled at first, telling administrators he got lost on the way to the lab. Despite this refusal, Duntsch was allowed to finish his residency. It was Duntsch, babbling about his family being in danger. During this time, he ran two successful labs and raised millions of dollars in grant funding. The two soon began dating and moving in together within three months. No one came out and spoke with Kellie Martin's family or informed them of her condition during this time. But, she never reported Duntsch up the ladder or told anyone about the horrors she witnessed in the operating room. Before working with him, Dr. Hoyle said that he didnt know how to feel about his fellow surgeon. "[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. How could Dr. Christopher Duntsch practice medicine for as long as he did without being stopped? Troy was sedated for weeks and forced to eat through a feeding tube because food was getting into her lungs. [38][39] On December 10, 2018, the Texas Court of Appeals affirmed Duntsch's conviction by a 21 split decision. She also said they snorted cocaine from a small pile he kept on a dresser in his home office. Jerry Summers, who grew up with Christopher Duntsch in Tennessee, was left a quadriplegic after agreeing to let "Dr. Death" operate on his neck. In September 2012, Jeff Cheney went to Duntsch to relieve the pain that had moved from his shoulder down to his arm. 11:15 PM on Mar 1, 2014 CST. Moving made sense for both of them. Now, a podcast called Dr. Death is breaking down the deranged surgeons criminal acts and shows how drug abuse and blinding overconfidence led to big trouble for the patients who found themselvesunderneath the spiraling doctors knife. When other doctors discovered the sponge, Duntsch refused to return to help remove it. Just weeks after permanently maiming Morguloff, Dr. Duntsch operated on his lifelong friend and roommate, Jerry Summers. MISI representatives stated he would brag about his capabilities and be critical of the work of other surgeons. Over objections from Duntsch's lawyers, prosecutors called many of Duntsch's other patients to the stand to prove that his actions were intentional. [18] He damaged patient Philip Mayfield's spinal cord, drilling into it and leaving him partially paralyzed from the neck down. [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. [40][41] On May 8, 2019, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused Duntschs petition for discretionary review. However, he closed Glidewell with the sponge in place despite others in the operating room warning him about it. In 2014, he developed syringomyelia, a painful condition that causes fluid-filled cysts on the spinal cord. 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. However, part of the problem was proving that Duntsch's actions were willful as defined by Texas law. 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]. Duntsch had his surgical rights temporarily suspended after his botched surgery on Summers and his first patient back was 55-year-old Kellie Martin. As a result, Summers lost almost 1,200 mL of blood. She bled so much that blood was saturating the blue draping around her body and dripping onto the floor. 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. "Dr. Death" is based on the chart-topping podcast of the same name that, in turn, is based on the horrifying true story of Christopher Duntsch. My surgery was 3 months ago but i noticed difference right away. [36][11][9] For the same reason, prosecutors opted to try Duntsch for Efurd's maiming first. Donald Duntsch was a gridiron football standout in Montana, and Christopher was determined to follow in those footsteps. However, by the time he met Young, Duntsch was over $500,000 in debt. During surgery, Duntsch damaged Summers' vertebral artery causing it to bleed uncontrollably. Everything went perfect in there." On November 7, 2011, Dr. Duntsch was scheduled to perform his first surgery at Baylor Plano on Kenneth Fennell for his back pain. Duntsch is a former neurosurgeon born in 1971 in Montana . The True Story Of Christopher Duntsch, The Killer Surgeon Known As Dr. Though he appealed his conviction in 2018, it was denied. It told the unfortunately true story of Doctor Christopher Duntsch, who was eventually sentenced to life in prison for maiming an elderly patient. by Saul Elbein. In the end, Floella Brown never regained consciousness because Duntsch refused to transfer her to another doctor in time, and her family had to remove her from life support. Dhruv Trivedi. Robert Lowes. Duntsch approached Pam Trusty about being on camera during a follow-up visit where she was still in pain. 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. So as Duntsch operated on Efurd, he quarreled with Kissinger and his supervisors, insisting on a craniotomy for Brown. Wendy Young had just given birth to their son and lived there with him. 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. She was moved to the ICU and died due to blood loss. 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. executive producer explains how Christopher Duntsch could have avoided prison. Duntsch is at the O. At the time of their meeting, Young was working as a dancer in a strip club. Lazar was scathingly critical of Duntsch's work. Henderson sent Duntsch's picture to the University of Tennessee to determine whether he actually had a degree from that institution and received confirmation that Duntsch, in fact, did. 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. Caroline is a writer and Florida-transplant currently living in New York City. The patient was Mary Efurd coming in for a second operation. His mother, Susan, was a school teacher. D Magazine gave him the nickname in . Pic credit: Dallas County Sheriff's Office. Kirby arrived and transferred Glidewell to a top-tier hospital to perform an emergency operation to remove the sponge. Before his license was revoked by the Texas Medical Board, he was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 . But when he awoke and was experiencing extreme pain, Dr. Duntsch said that surgery had been a success and there had been no complications. Dr. Fulton never worked with Duntsch again. Convinced that he was a clear and present danger to the public, they urged the Dallas County district attorney's office to pursue criminal charges. On May 24, 2011, Christopher Duntsch signed a physician services agreement with Rimlawi and Won's Minimally Invasive Spine Institute (MISI) in Dallas. An MRI revealed that multiple bone fragments in his spinal canal were compressing and adhering to his S1 nerve and that Duntsch had installed the hardware incorrectly. Of those 38, 31 were leftparalyzed or seriously injured and two of them died from surgical complications. His sophomore year, he made it as one of the few walk-on players. He later recalled that he read about Martin's death on the day before the surgery, but Duntsch cursed him out when he called to ask about it. Left: Christopher Duntsch in surgery, Right: Christopher Duntschs mugshot. Duntsch also appears in no yearbooks during the time in which he says he earned his Ph.D. The hospital hired him and granted him temporary surgical privileges until his reference checks were completed. [9] Texas Medical Board Revocation Order. Summers asked Duntsch to fix his chronic neck pain from a high school football injury that had gotten worse after a car accident.