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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." Trusty would later find out there was no award and it had just been a paid advertisement. The surgery was supposed to take less than 45 minutes and ultimately lasted over four hours. 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. An anesthesiologist and Dr. Anson Fulton, who assisted with the surgery, warned Duntsch about the blood loss, and he continued to ignore them and operate. Three holes had been poked into Efurd's spinal column where Duntsch had tried and failed to insert screws. He's serving a life sentence for gross malpractice that resulted in two direct fatalities and the maiming of more than 30 neurosurgery patients, as told by Laura Beil, the journalist who hosts the Dr. Death podcast, on which the eponymous show is based. [16] In 2021, he was profiled on CNBC's American Greed. Premiering Thursday on . 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. The two soon began dating and moving in together within three months. It was determined during the repair surgery that Dr. Duntsch had not even been operating on the correct part of Jeff Glidewell's spine. (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 . [3], Duntsch was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 patients in less than two years before his license was revoked by the Texas Medical Board. A deranged surgeon runs amok, maiming and killing multiple patients, unhindered by a medical community sworn to police itself. Although he wasn't a talented athlete, he trained for hours on his own and made it as a linebacker on his high school football team at Evangelical Christian School in Memphis. Prosecutors also faulted Duntsch's employers for not reporting him. 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 day that Brown suffered her stroke, Duntsch operated again. 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 will be up for parole in 2045, when he is 74 years old. He said, "Randy, you were right. 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. Glidewell was left with only one vocal cord, permanent damage to his esophagus and partial paralysis on his left side. This time on 53-year-old Mary Efurd. Duntsch was fired after he performed a surgery and immediately left for Las Vegas, leaving no one to look after his patient. Duntschs career started off bright. He is not eligible for parole until 2045; he will be 74 years old by then. Robert Lowes. He Was Also His Victim. "It's a miracle," she said in the infomercial later promoted on his website. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Duntsch, aka Dr Death, was sentenced to life in prison in 2017, Dr Death - Trailer for the Peacock series based on the true story of Christopher Duntsch. She witnessed Duntsch put on his lab coat and make his rounds the following morning as if nothing had happened. Duntsch stuffed a surgical sponge in Glidewell's throat to stanch the bleeding. Where is Kim Morgan Now? 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. But, she never reported Duntsch up the ladder or told anyone about the horrors she witnessed in the operating room. His case is receiving renewed attention in the media. Could you take care of it?" 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. The nursing staff put down towels to soak it up. Fennell is in constant pain, and it took several months of rehabilitation before he could begin to walk with a cane. He was then brought on board at the Dallas Medical Center where he continued his carnage. Where is Christopher Duntsch AKA Dr. Death now? Over objections from Duntsch's lawyers, prosecutors called many of Duntsch's other patients to the stand to prove that his actions were intentional. July 19, 2021. 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. As Burke says in "Dr. Death," "No matter what happens, no matter what somebody does to you or the people you love, all you're gonna get is $250,000. "[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. Jerry Summers believed that his best friend Christopher Duntsch was a talented neurosurgeon who would cure his chronic neck pain. He graduated from a top-tier medical school, was running research labs, and completed a residency program for neurosurgery. In March, the following spring, police were called to a bank in Northeast Dallas after a man with blood on his hands and face was seen beating on the doors. His older son had been born back when he was at Baylor Plano. Dr. Fulton never worked with Duntsch again. Christopher Duntsch was nicknamed Dr. Death due to the injuries he caused his patients. 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. He thought surgery might give him some relief and stop his need for drugs. Base compensation was $600,000 a year for two years, beginning on June 14, 2011. [33][34] The indictments were made four months before the statute of limitations were to run out. Duntsch told Mayfield's wife it went well, but she instantly knew something was wrong as she walked into his room. The series is set to premiere on July 12 and will feature a star-studded cast. Around this time, Christopher Duntsch's behavior became noticeably erratic. In 2014, he developed syringomyelia, a painful condition that causes fluid-filled cysts on the spinal cord. Duntsch's next stop was at Dallas Medical Center. In April 2015, Duntsch was arrested again for shoplifting $887 worth of merchandise from a Dallas Walmart. It had come from Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. 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?" However, by the time he met Young, Duntsch was over $500,000 in debt. DiscGenics says its mission is toimprove the lives of those suffering from the debilitating effects of degenerative diseases of the spine. The problem was that Dallas Medical Center did not perform those or even have the proper equipment to do them. Duntsch also received forty percent of all revenue he generated beyond $800,000 each year. One screw was jabbed directly into her spinal canal and had skewered the nerves that control one leg and the bladder. Mayfield also suffered from random fainting spells that happen every few weeks. Christopher was raised along with his three younger siblings in a wealthy suburb in Memphis, Tennessee. [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]. Pic credit: Dallas County Sheriff's Office. Duntsch's next patient was Jeff Glidewell. [10][7], Duntsch completed his residency having participated in fewer than 100 surgeries. [4][5] In 2017, he was convicted of maiming one of his patients and sentenced to life imprisonment. This was the time when Dr. Christopher Duntsch started to turn into Dr. Death. Duntsch continued operating despite clear signs that Martin was losing massive amounts of blood. 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. He had complex regional pain syndrome, a rare type of chronic pain that caused his skin to blister and peel off. Page opened a desk drawer and saw a mirror with a pile of cocaine and a rolled-up dollar bill on top. Thankfully, this ended up being Dr. Christopher Duntsch's last operation. Efurd was left paralyzed. In 2005, about a third of the way through his residency, department chairman Dr. Jon Robertson appointed Duntsch program director of the school's tissue bank. The deal required Duntsch to attain privileges at Baylor Regional Medical Center in Plano. Baylor Plano allowed Duntsch to continue operating despite the documented issues with Kenneth Fennell, Mary Efurd, Lee Passmore, and Barry Morguloff's surgeries. [36] On February 20, 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison. His first and only surgery with MISI was on a Thursday in September 2011 at Baylor Plano. When other doctors discovered the sponge, Duntsch refused to return to help remove it. Finally, Dr. Kirby received a call from Hassan Chahadeh. She was moved to the ICU and died due to blood loss. Duntsch operated and flew out to Las Vegas without securing a call physician. Dr. Hassan Chahadeh, the owner, said when Duntsch had applied for privileges, his record was clean. Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana on April 3, 1971. 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. Their fling was confined to his office at Baylor Plano, and Morgan said in her deposition that he frequently drank vodka and did medical research for hours. At the time of their meeting, Young was working as a dancer in a strip club. Baylor officials took Summers' accusation seriously and ordered Duntsch to take a drug test. Moving made sense for both of them. He is a graduate of Evangelical Christian School in the Cordova suburb of Memphis, where he starred in football.[7]. She bled to death . As part of their investigation, prosecutors obtained a December 2011 email written by Christopher Duntsch. In 2006, Duntsch teamed up with two Russian stem cell scientists: Valery Kukekov and Tatyana Ignatova. The case highlights the risks of allowing a troubled physician to move to another hospital . Over the span of a few years, he managed to maim and injure over 30 patients, with two more dying during and shortly after undergoing surgery with him. However, it wouldnt be long until Duntschs seemingly perfect career began to unravel. His father, Donald, was a physical therapist and Christian missionary. Death.. [4], Longtime spine surgeon Robert Henderson performed the salvage surgery on Efurd. His pain management specialist advised against an operation but referred him to a neurosurgeon named Christopher Duntsch. The indictments were made four months before the statute of limitations ran out. However, Baylor did not fire him; instead, he was allowed to resign. On December 30, 2011, Duntsch operated on Lee Passmore. He wanted to become a doctor, and not just any doctor - a neurosurgeon, operating on injured backs and necks. 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. Unfortunately, when Morguloff woke up, he began to experience continuous pain, paresthesia, and loss of sensation in his left leg. After this look at Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. He claimed he was the best in Dallas. 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. As a young neurosurgeon in Texas, Duntsch killed . 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 . The story of Dr. Death, Christopher Duntsch, feels like something out of a movie or book. He said even a person with the most basic sense of human anatomy would know they were operating in the wrong area. 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. When Henderson saw the imaging from Duntsch's surgery, he was certain that there would be legal action, and had the salvage surgery recorded. His mother, Susan, was a school teacher. Lazar was scathingly critical of Duntsch's work. [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. Next week marks the five-year anniversary of Texas neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch being sentenced to life in prison. 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. So as Duntsch operated on Efurd, he quarreled with Kissinger and his supervisors, insisting on a craniotomy for Brown. 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 my opinion, we had a serial killer in our medical community, Dr. Randall Kirbysays of Christopher Duntsch in "Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story.". After his license was revoked,Duntsch fled from Texas. A few days later, he took the test and passed. Death,' Dallas neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch", "Texas neurosurgeon nicknamed 'Dr. A Texas neurosurgeon accused of intentionally botching multiple spinal surgeries, resulting in the death of two . In 2017, Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of maiming one of his patients. Dr. Christopher Duntsch's patients ended up maimed and dead, but the real tragedy is that the Texas Medical Board couldn't stop him. 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. But police say an email Duntsch wrote in 2011 points to his mind-set in the months before he "intentionally, knowingly and . He died in 2021 of an infection related to complications from Duntsch's operation. According to court documents, surgeons at the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute soon grew suspicious of Duntsch. Death'? His mother, Susan, was a school teacher. 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. Trusty was never told she was participating in an infomercial and believed Duntsch had been selected as the top neurosurgeon in Dallas and was participating in a video about the award. Despite his colleagues being [] My experience with this doctor has been great. Baylor Regional Medical Center in Plano (now Baylor Scott and White Medical Center - Plano). Shughart countered that the 2011 email, sent after his first surgeries went wrong, proved that Duntsch knew his actions were intentional. 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. [43], The conviction of Duntsch has been called a precedent-setting case, as it is believed to be the first time that a physician has been convicted on criminal charges for actions in the course of their medical work. ", "Doctor Guilty of Felony Medical Malpractice", "Disciplinary actions against doctors have plunged during the pandemic, but that doesn't mean they are behaving", "An Update on Dr. Death Victim Philip Mayfield", "Jeff Glidewell Today: Where Is Dr. Death's Last Patient Now? Advertisements. Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Policy | Compact with Texans | Website Linking Policy; Please contact Pre-Licensure, Registration and Consumer Services at . However, he ignored them and proceeded with his scheduled surgery on Efurd. It was Duntsch, babbling about his family being in danger. By this time, however, Brown was brain dead. Legacy Surgery Center in Frisco (now Frisco Ambulatory Surgery Center). by Saul Elbein. But he yearned to play linebacker for a Division 1 team and set his sights on the Colorado State Rams. Duntsch moved to Denver, Colorado, and went into a downward spiral. They didn't have enough evidence to stop him because he hadn't done anything wrong yet. To avoid the costs of fighting and possibly losing a wrongful termination suit, hospital officials reached a deal with Duntsch's lawyers in which Duntsch was allowed to resign in return for Baylor Plano issuing a letter stating that there were no issues with him.