However, part of the problem was proving that Duntsch's actions were willful as defined by Texas law. [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. Duntsch's next patient was Jeff Glidewell. That same month, the two began an affair. It's hard to find a lawyer willing to jump through these hoops no matter how negligent the doctor was, because Texas limits non-economic damages in most cases to $250,000 per doctor. Now, his time at the university . Typically, neurosurgery residents participate in over 1,000 surgeries in the course of their residency. Those words continue to haunt her, and she's tormented by the knowledge that her endorsement caused others to select Duntsch themselves. He was tragically mistaken. During this time, he ran two successful labs and raised millions of dollars in grant funding. For instance, he came to work wearing the same tattered scrubs for three days in a row. Texas man recalls losing his wife to 'Dr. Death' in shocking doc: 'My Trusty would later find out there was no award and it had just been a paid advertisement. ", "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. The day that Brown suffered her stroke, Duntsch operated again. The suit alleged that Baylor Plano made an average net profit of $65,000 on every spinal surgery performed by Duntsch. One day, he happened to see a fax come in to the medical examiner's office. 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. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Duntsch is a former neurosurgeon born in 1971 in Montana . How the 'Dr. Death' TV show takes 'a deeper dive' than the popular podcast Where is Christopher Duntsch AKA Dr. Death now? Muse woke up in considerable pain, but Duntsch convinced him it was normal. The hospital initiated another peer review, but Duntsch resigned rather than face certain termination. Part of the problem was being able to prove that Duntsch's actions were willful as defined by Texas law. Once, he stopped by to pick up some paperwork. During surgery, he cut a major vessel in her spinal cord. If you had back pain, and had tried everything else, Dr. Duntsch could give you the spine surgery that would take your pain away. Duntsch is at the O. His sophomore year, he made it as one of the few walk-on players. Despite his colleagues being [] He performed only one surgery with the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute. In 2014, he developed syringomyelia, a painful condition that causes fluid-filled cysts on the spinal cord. He claimed he was the best in Dallas. Why do Slipknot wear masks and what do they look like without? Though he appealed his conviction in 2018, it was denied. During a deposition, Megan Krane recalled Duntsch eating a paper blotter of LSD and taking prescription painkillers on his birthday. The surgery was supposed to take less than 45 minutes and ultimately lasted over four hours. As a result, Summers lost almost 1,200 mL of blood. She came in to have two vertebrae fused, but when she woke up she experienced severe pain and couldnt stand. "Something was wrong," Dr. Rimlawi said, "whether it be impairment from drugs, alcohol, mental illness, or a combination of all three." Plans start at $4.99/month. Before working with him, Dr. Hoyle said that he didnt know how to feel about his fellow surgeon. Dr Deathis a new limited series about the rise and fall of Duntsch. Christopher Duntsch's Emails Are Threatening and Bewildering - Yahoo Muse spiraled into opioid addiction that cost him his wife and his job. But he yearned to play linebacker for a Division 1 team and set his sights on the Colorado State Rams. 0:57. Martin would become Duntschs first casualty when she bled out in intensive care unit after her relatively common procedure. He secured investments in Discgenics from local spine surgeons, including Dr. Robertson and Dr. Kevin Foley, a prominent Memphis neurosurgeon Duntsch spent a year training under as part of the surgery fellowship at the Semmes-Murphey Clinic. Prosecutors also faulted Duntsch's employers for not reporting him. 2-Dr.Randall Kirby, a hero. Lee Passmore's screams poured out from the ICU and down the hallway. [35], The last charge was for the maiming and paralyzing of Efurd. We've had a catastrophic event here. When Morgan asked Duntsch about the woman in his house, he said she was just his secretary and friend. Advertisement. [7], When Duntsch applied for privileges at Methodist Hospital in Dallas, the hospital queried the NPDB. B. Ellis Unit outside Huntsville. 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." [8] Duntsch returned home to attend Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis). To stop the bleeding, he packed the space with so much anticoagulant foam that it constricted Summers' spine. [15], Duntsch joined Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano (now Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Plano) as a minimally invasive spine surgeon with a salary of $600,000 per year, plus bonuses. Dr. Death in surgery. They talked about marriage quickly, and they moved in together within three months. The show starsJoshua Jackson,Grace Gummer, AnnaSophia Robb,Christian SlaterandAlec Baldwin. He Was Also His Victim. To top it all off, he was operating on the wrong portion of her back. [4][5] In 2017, he was convicted of maiming one of his patients and sentenced to life imprisonment. No one can pay to remove ratings. [3], Duntsch was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 patients in less than two years before his license was revoked by the Texas Medical Board. Did Christopher Duntsch Have Any Successful Surgeries? 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. That's why it really shined down to me," Kissinger said in an interview. The first season of Dr. Death, which launched in 2018 and ran for seven episodes, examined the life and horrific crimes of Christopher Duntsch. The hospital hired him and granted him temporary surgical privileges until his reference checks were completed. It stars Joshua Jackson as Duntsch, Alec Baldwin as Robert Henderson, Christian Slater as Randall Kirby and AnnaSophia Robb as Michelle Shughart. Passmore says if he settles, he is allowing the hospital to continue to get away with their negligence. Christopher Duntsch, 44, faces up to life in prison if convicted. Duntsch suggested drilling a hole in Brown's head to relieve the pressure, but was refused permission. 'Killer' Surgeon Gets Life for Maiming Patient - Medscape Wendy Young knew her ex-boyfriend Christopher Duntsch's medical career was unraveling, but she wasn't prepared for what she said was his bizarre behavior that coincided with his fall from grace as a surgeon.. Duntsch had removed part of his femoral nerve. In 2006, Duntsch teamed up with two Russian stem cell scientists: Valery Kukekov and Tatyana Ignatova. This case was filed in Dallas County District Courts, Dallas County Civil District Courts located in Dallas, Texas. I thought he was either really, really good, or hes just really, really arrogant and thought he was good, Hoyle said. [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. She was dancing at a strip club in Memphis, and Duntsch's issues with his business, DiscGenics, grew more severe. [48], In 2019, Duntsch was the focus of the premiere episode of License to Kill, Oxygen's series on criminal medical professionals. Chahadeh was worried about his facility and getting sued by Duntsch; he said to Dr. Kirby that they had already given him privileges. Officers took him to a nearby psychiatric hospital. I dont know if hes there to harm me or what his true intentions were, Wendy Young said of the harrowing alleged encounter with Christopher Duntsch. Duntsch also received forty percent of all revenue he generated beyond $800,000 each year. "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 . In December 2012, Jacqueline Troy was left barely able to speak above a whisper after Duntsch cut her vocal cords and one of her arteries. Then, on July 24, 2012, he operated on Floella Brown. Everything went perfect in there." ", "Greg Abbott Enters Fray in Lawsuits Involving "Sociopath" Doctor", "Abbott sides with Baylor hospital in neurosurgeon lawsuit", "Who Are Robert Henderson And Randall Kirby, The Surgeons Who Tried To Stop 'Dr. Just weeks after permanently maiming Morguloff, Dr. Duntsch operated on his lifelong friend and roommate, Jerry Summers. Many readers may recognize the name Christopher Duntsch, a doctor who allegedly was negligent in his practice for years before finally being stripped of his medical license. He recommended fusing two of her vertebrae and the insertion of "hardware" in her spinal area. However, it wouldnt be long until Duntschs seemingly perfect career began to unravel. Duntsch approached Pam Trusty about being on camera during a follow-up visit where she was still in pain. 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. In 2017, Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of maiming one of his patients. 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 sponge triggered a severe blood-borne infection that caused Glidewell to become septic. [18] He damaged patient Philip Mayfield's spinal cord, drilling into it and leaving him partially paralyzed from the neck down. Dr. Rimlawi called Baylor Plano and advised them against continuing a relationship with Christopher Duntsch, but this fell to deaf ears. 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. His very first operation at the hospital would once again turn deadly. Unfortunately, it's all too real. Dr. Death was fired before the end of his first week for the damage hed inflicted on Brown and Efurd. Getty Dr. Duntsch, aka "Dr. Death", operated on his last patient in 2013, before he was arrested. Duntsch lasted about three months at MISI. He thought surgery might give him some relief and stop his need for drugs. Before his license was revoked by the Texas Medical Board, he was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 . [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". 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 . 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. Philip is one of more than 30 people maimed by Dr. Christopher Duntsch, nicknamed Dr. Death by the media. She says she even filed a temporary protective order against him in April 2012, after he showed up banging on her window at 2 am. Did Christopher Duntsch have a wife and kids? Marshall Muse was scheduled to have a disc removed in his back. Your trust is important to us. The explanation was enough to satisfy Muse. Dr. Duntsch came from a good family and showed considerable potential at medical school. They didn't have enough evidence to stop him because he hadn't done anything wrong yet. Dr. Death, read about how reckless surgeon Robert Liston killed his patient and two bystanders. [9] Texas Medical Board Revocation Order. Duntsch told Mayfield's wife it went well, but she instantly knew something was wrong as she walked into his room. This meant Summers could still feel pain, but was unable to move from the neck down. When Kirby learned the details, he immediately asked the doctor who referred the case to him about the surgeon: "Is it a guy named Christopher Duntsch?" "[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. Dr. Death in surgery. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Duntsch, once a neurosurgeon, is the focal point of the new streaming Peacock docuseries "Dr. Death." D Magazine gave him the nickname in its reporting in 2016. Death'? He refused to abort the surgery even after a trauma surgeon colleague and an anesthesiologist warned him about the blood loss. Three holes had been poked into Efurd's spinal column where Duntsch had tried and failed to insert screws. Duntsch's next stop was at Dallas Medical Center. [9][16], As part of their investigation, prosecutors obtained a December 2011 email in which Duntsch boasted 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. When he woke, he could not move anything on the right side of his body. executive producer explains how Christopher Duntsch could have avoided prison. After a fall in her kitchen, Martin experienced chronic back pain and sought out surgery to alleviate it. Former neurosurgeon sentenced for purposely maiming patients Morguloff had become addicted to the pain killers being prescribed to him by this time. During his short tenure, he spent little time in the operating room. Out of his 38 surgeries, only three had no complications. He was smart. D Magazine gave him the nickname in . He was held in the Dallas County jail for almost two years until the case went to trial in 2017. A Surgeon So Bad It Was Criminal ProPublica However, Baylor did not fire him; instead, he was allowed to resign. She bled to death . Duntsch is the first physician sentenced to life in prison for his actions while practicing medicine. One of the patients who suffered disastrous consequences was Jerry Summers, the boyfriend of Megan Kane and a friend of Christopher Duntsch. In 2011, Christopher Duntsch met Wendy Young at the Beauty Shop bar in Memphis. "As his victims pile up, two fellow physicians and Dallas prosecutor Michelle Shughart set out to stop him.". Homesick, Duntsch left Colorado after a year and transferred to Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis. After interviewing dozens of Duntsch's patients and their survivors, prosecutors concluded that Duntsch's acts were indeed criminal, and nothing short of imprisonment would prevent him from practicing medicine again. Advertisements. [7], While in Memphis, Duntsch began a long-term relationship with Wendy Renee Young. After his license was revoked,Duntsch fled from Texas. The Peacock originalDr Deathis based on atrue story. When he woke up, he was a quadriplegic with incomplete paralysis. 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 based on the chart-topping podcast of the same name that, in turn, is based on the horrifying true story of Christopher Duntsch. 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. An investigator by trade and nature, Passmore started digging into Dr. Christopher Duntsch. Wendy Renee Young and Christopher Duntsch first met in 2011 at a Beauty Shop bar in Memphis. "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. Christopher Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison in February 2017 for his heinous acts. B. Ellis Unit outside Huntsville. "[20][4] Under heavy lobbying from Kirby and Henderson, the Texas Medical Board suspended Duntsch's license on June 26, 2013. [16] In 2021, he was profiled on CNBC's American Greed. Who Were The Victims Of Dr. Christopher Duntsch? | True Crime Buzz At the time, hospitals were not required to report doctors who only had temporary privileges. Dr. Robert Henderson was brought in on July 28, 2012, to perform a revision surgery on Efurd. A spill of more than 500,000-gallons of crude oil from the Keystone Pipeline in December in Kansas was caused by a combination of a faulty weld and "bending stress fatigue" on the pipe, the . "[45], Wondery Media launched a ten-episode podcast series named Dr. Death, focusing on Duntsch. At the time of their meeting, Young was working as a dancer in a strip club. Before the surgery, Kirby related that Duntsch said he was the best spine surgeon in Dallas and the only spine surgeon trained in minimally invasive spine surgery. 12 Unnerving Facts About Dr. Death Christopher Duntsch - Ranker Former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch is one of the most infamous doctors ever brought to trial in a criminal case, and with good reason. Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana on April 3, 1971. You'd like to think . 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. Kirby warned him again that it was only a matter of time. Despite all of this, Duntsch was retained by South Hampton when new owners bought it and renamed it University General Hospital. "It's a miracle," she said in the infomercial later promoted on his website. Before he was "Dr. Death" on Wondery's hit 2018 podcast, disgraced former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch was a student at Colorado State University.