He said even a person with the most basic sense of human anatomy would know they were operating in the wrong area. Prosecutors also faulted Duntsch's employers for not reporting him. Jerry Summers believed that his best friend Christopher Duntsch was a talented neurosurgeon who would cure his chronic neck pain. He didn't contact a lawyer, although he struggled with the decision. [19][16] Kirby claimed that it looked as if Duntsch had tried to decapitate Glidewell and contended that such a botched surgery "has not happened in the United States of America" before. Anatomy of a Tragedy: The Story Behind 'Sociopath Surgeon' Christopher Advertisement. He will not be eligible for parole until 2045, when he will be 74-years-old. Duntsch operated and flew out to Las Vegas without securing a call physician. ", "Surgeon who wrote of becoming killer is denied bail reduction", "Elderly couple attends court hoping for justice in Duntsch case", "Who Were The Victims Of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, Who Earned The Ominous Nickname 'Dr. He hoped to play football, but his multiple transfers revoked his eligibility. He refused to acknowledge anything was wrong, hindering the, This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 04:48. Finally, the board permanently revoked Duntsch's license on December 6, 2013. [38][39] On December 10, 2018, the Texas Court of Appeals affirmed Duntsch's conviction by a 21 split decision. Kirby arrived and transferred Glidewell to a top-tier hospital to perform an emergency operation to remove the sponge. When he called Duntsch's office, he was told it would "go away." As those watching the show know, Christopher was dubbed "Dr. Death" in D Magazine . [12], Initially, Duntsch focused heavily on the PhD half of his degree. [7][28][16], 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. In July 2015, a grand jury indicted Dr. Death on five counts of aggravated assault and one count of harming an elderly person, his patient Mary Efurd, according to Rolling Stone. Over this period, Duntsch performed back surgeries that left his patients in a worse condition, paralyzed, or deceased. [38], Duntsch is housed at the O. Getty Dr. Duntsch, aka "Dr. Death", operated on his last patient in 2013, before he was arrested. [7], Shughart argued that Duntsch should have known he was likely to 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. CHRISTOPHER Duntsch, is infamously known as Dr Death for gross malpractice. Duntsch continued to medicate Morguloff with prescription pain killers and ignored the change in his condition. In May 2013, Dr. Randall Kirby was invited to a dinner by University General Hospital to meet their new neurosurgeon, Dr. Duntsch. Kirby warned him again that it was only a matter of time. MARY EFURD vs CHRISTOPHER D DUNTSCH, MDet al - UniCourt She said she thought that he was going to make millions, Kimberly Morgan's friend once said her attraction to Christopher Duntsch. [9] Duntsch completed his undergraduate degree in 1995, then continued on to an ambitious MDPhD program. Why do Slipknot wear masks and what do they look like without? In October 2011, she registered articles of incorporation to form Duntsch's practice, the Texas Neurosurgical Institute. Plans start at $4.99/month. The hospital initiated another peer review, but Duntsch resigned rather than face certain termination. Could you take care of it?" When Martin awoke from anesthesia, she was screaming and clawing at her legs which had become patchy and full of purple streaks and spots. Donald Duntsch was a gridiron football standout in Montana, and . 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. She was moved to the ICU and died due to blood loss. Dr. Fulton never worked with Duntsch again. Caroline is a writer and Florida-transplant currently living in New York City. He performed only one surgery with the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute. Texas man recalls losing his wife to 'Dr. Death' in shocking doc: 'My Licensed to kill: lawsuit seeks to overturn Texas hospital shield law Dr. Rimlawi called Baylor Plano and advised them against continuing a relationship with Christopher Duntsch, but this fell to deaf ears. However, part of the problem was proving that Duntsch's actions were willful as defined by Texas law. 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. Cheney recalled wondering why a neurosurgeon with such outstanding credentials would be operating at a lower-tiered hospital on the way to his surgery. He was held in the Dallas County jail for almost two years until the case went to trial in 2017. Former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch is one of the most infamous doctors ever brought to trial in a criminal case, and with good reason. "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. DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch has been sentenced to life in prison for a series of botched spinal surgeries, reports CBS . I left with him and believed in him and then, you know, he just kind of fell apart.. His girlfriend, Wendy Young, had a second son in September 2014. Passmore says if he settles, he is allowing the hospital to continue to get away with their negligence. As the trial team put it, the "scary pattern" of Duntsch's actions became apparent to the others in the office, leading the DA to give the green light to take the case to a grand jury. From 2017: https://bit.ly/3hXJccx There were two names on the top page: Kellie Martin and Christopher Duntsch. Duntsch is a serial maimer and killer. The day after Mary Efurd's surgery, she awoke in excruciating pain and could not turn over or wiggle her toes. Baylor Regional Medical Center in Plano (now Baylor Scott and White Medical Center - Plano). Mr. [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. Despite this refusal, Duntsch was allowed to finish his residency. Soon after starting Efurd's surgery, Duntsch turned to Kissinger and told him he would be performing a craniotomy on Floella Brown. [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. Duntsch was in a long-term relationship with Wendy Renee Young, after the pair met at a bar in Memphis when she was 27 and he was 40. Christopher Duntsch Texas True Crime Blog The surgical disasters of neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch led to his jailing in 2017, setting a legal precedent. After intense rehab and his determination, eventually, he was able to use a walker and cane to mobilize himself. He also reported shooting pains throughout his body. However, by the time he met Young, Duntsch was over $500,000 in debt. Dr. Christopher Duntsch became the subject of a Peacock original series for all the wrong reasons. Dr Deathis a new limited series about the rise and fall of Duntsch. He died in 2021 of an infection related to complications from Duntsch's operation. Dr. Duntsch said to Cheney, "I don't know why you're this way. On top of this, he misspelled both Kukekov and Ignatova's names. This time on 53-year-old Mary Efurd. 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. Barry Morguloff, the owner of a pool service company, was left with bone fragments in his spinal canal after Duntsch tried to pull a damaged, Jerry Summers, a longtime friend of Duntsch's, came to Plano to have, Kellie Martin was undergoing a routine back operation when Duntsch cut through her spinal cord and severed an artery. Since receiving his life sentence, Dr Death is currently housed in the O.B. And its all because of one surgeon named Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. The Real Story Behind the Dr. Death Podcast - Christopher Duntsch The case status is Disposed - Other Disposed. 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. 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. Patient paralyzed by Dr. Death 'guarantees' there are other surgeons He then prescribed Muse so much Percocet that a pharmacist refused to fill the prescription. She suffered a stroke as a result. In his first surgery after his suspension lifted, he nicked the vertebral artery of Kellie Martin, a 55-year-old Garland woman. The Judge overseeing this case is GINSBERG, CARL. Passmore can't feel his feet; his chest shakes, his right-hand jitters, he can't run or swim with his kids, he struggles with incontinence, and he has nerve pain that fires through his back. 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. Christopher Duntsch is confirmed to have injured 31 patients and killed two . This is the True Story of 'Dr Death' Christopher Duntsch ", "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 later told Glidewell that it was clear Duntsch had tried to kill him. 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. Dr. Death is based on the podcast of the same name, produced by Wondery. He proved to be Duntsch's last surgery; University General pushed him out soon afterward. At the time of their meeting, Young was working as a dancer in a strip club. Since Duntsch's departure was technically voluntary, Baylor Plano was under no obligation to report him to the Texas Medical Board or the National Practitioner Data Bank. He wrote grants and secured more than $3 million in funding. She also said that he kept a pile of cocaine on his dresser in his home office. 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. 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. The series is set to premiere on July 12 and will feature a star-studded cast. The series peers into the torturous crimes of . Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. Wendy Renee Young and Christopher Duntsch first met in 2011 at a Beauty Shop bar in Memphis. Efurd eventually gained back some control and mobility, but she now uses a wheelchair and suffers chronic pain. Dr. Death, read about how reckless surgeon Robert Liston killed his patient and two bystanders. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. It was then that Christopher decided to switch his career to medicine. Christopher Duntsch: A Review of Clinicide - Walsh Medical Media Death' found guilty of maiming woman during surgery", "Former neurosurgeon sentenced for purposely maiming patients", "Doctor convicted of botched surgery gets life in prison", "Christopher Daniel Duntsch v. The State of Texas Appeal from Criminal District Court No. 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. 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. Baylor suspended Duntsch, pictured, for a month. Dr Death, un nuevo programa que llegar a Peacock el jueves (15 de julio), se basa en la historia de la vida real de Christopher Duntsch, un ex neurocirujano que era, como dijo un famoso titular de ProPublica, "tan malo que era criminal".. Joshua Jackson interpreta a Duntsch, que ahora tiene 50 aos y cumple cadena perpetua despus de ser condenado en 2017 por mutilar a uno de sus . Dr. Death: Disgraced surgeon at center of podcast, show has CSU roots [16] In 2021, he was profiled on CNBC's American Greed. As part of their investigation, prosecutors obtained a December 2011 email written by Christopher Duntsch. Efurd was left paralyzed. Where Is Christopher Duntsch's Wife Wendy Renee Young Now? He did his surgical residency at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, spending five years studying neurosurgery and a year studying general surgery. Duntsch also appears in no yearbooks during the time in which he says he earned his Ph.D. He will be up for parole in 2045, when he is 74 years old. As a result, Summers lost almost 1,200 mL of blood. He ran two labs, gained experience writing grants, and earned more than $3 million in funding for research projects. A Texas jury found Christopher Duntsch guilty Feb. 14 of maiming patients who had turned to him for surgery to resolve debilitating injuries. Duntsch's trial has been called a precedent-setting case, as it's the first time that a physician has been convicted on criminal charges for actions in the course of their medical work and malpractice involving botched surgery. However, it wouldnt be long until Duntschs seemingly perfect career began to unravel. Nevertheless, it took until June 2013 to find the "pattern of patient injury" required to justify suspending Duntsch's license, despite receiving complaints dating back to 2011. They met with an assistant DA but got little traction. [4], Longtime spine surgeon Robert Henderson performed the salvage surgery on Efurd. The charismatic neurosurgeon was actually a successful researcher before he starting killing people in the operating . Muse spiraled into opioid addiction that cost him his wife and his job. Jerry Summers, who grew up with Christopher Duntsch in Tennessee, was left a quadriplegic after agreeing to let "Dr. Death" operate on his neck. [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. Kim Morgan Now: Where is Nurse and Christopher Duntsch's Ex-Assisstant However, he sewed up Glidewell with the sponge still in place despite others in the operating room warning him about it. 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. However, on January 6, 2012, a week after the surgery, Dr. Duntsch performed another operation on Passmore. [7], While in Memphis, Duntsch began a long-term relationship with Wendy Renee Young. As of this date, there have been no summary or administrative restrictions or suspension of Duntsch's medical staff membership or clinical privileges during the time he has practiced at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano.". To stop the bleeding, he packed the space with so much anticoagulant foam that it constricted Summers' spine. Christopher Duntsch is currently imprisoned at the O.B. It involves the case of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a spinal neurosurgeon who left a trail of dead and permanently disabled . Kirby claimed that it looked as if Duntsch had tried to decapitate Glidewell and contended that such a botched surgery has not happened in the United States of America before. Due to these legal hurdles and costly lawyer fees on the plaintiff's part, few hospitals end up having to pay out after facing a malpractice lawsuit. "[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. All the while, the operating room staff questioned whether Duntsch was putting hardware into Efurd in the right places and noticed he kept drilling and removing screws. But, she never reported Duntsch up the ladder or told anyone about the horrors she witnessed in the operating room. 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. His first and only surgery with MISI was on a Thursday in September 2011 at Baylor Plano. Death. Duntsch is the first physician sentenced to life in prison for his actions while practicing medicine. He moved in with his parents in Colorado and filed for bankruptcy, claiming around one million dollars in debt. 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. Then, on December 6, 2011, he operated on seventy-four-year-old Mary Efurd. Young had family in Dallas and decided she would go with him if he picked that city. Victim of Real-Life 'Dr. Death' Believes There Are Others - Yahoo! [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. Texas Doctor Found Guilty of Felony in Medical Malpractice Case "Something was wrong," Dr. Rimlawi said, "whether it be impairment from drugs, alcohol, mental illness, or a combination of all three." It was Duntsch, babbling about his family being in danger. Im the only clean minimally invasive guy in the whole state.. According to D Magazine, Duntsch did so well in medical school that he was allowed to join the prestigiousAlpha Omega Medical Honor Society. For 33 patients of Texas neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, it was a reality. 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. Duntsch's next stop was at Dallas Medical Center. [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. By this time, Duntsch was almost penniless, and the judge had to appoint a lawyer for him. In 2006, Duntsch teamed up with two Russian stem cell scientists: Valery Kukekov and Tatyana Ignatova. 'Dr. Death': Texas Neurosurgeon Sentenced to Life in Prison - Peoplemag The hospital called Rimlawi when it couldn't reach his colleague. Where is Christopher Duntsch AKA Dr. Death now? - The US Sun His mother, Susan, was a school teacher. It was completely unnecessary, didn't relieve her pain, and only set her up for another needed surgery. Christopher Duntsch, known as "Dr. Death" tried to explain himself in rambling emails, but he only made things worse for his criminal case. Dr. Death in surgery. 'Dr. Death' Peacock Review: Stream It Or Skip It? - Decider [19][25][7] She later recalled waking up feeling "excruciating pain", a "ten-plus" on a scale of 1 to 10. [19] Prosecutors sought a sentence long enough to ensure that Duntsch would never be able to practice medicine again. Unfortunately, it's all too real. [6], Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana and spent most of his youth in Memphis, Tennessee. 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. After undergoing physical rehabilitation, Mayfield was able to walk with a cane but continued to experience paralysis on the right side of his body and in his left arm. When other doctors discovered the sponge, Duntsch refused to return to help remove it. A disc in his lower spine had blown out, and the pieces had to be picked out of the space above. The surgery was supposed to take less than 45 minutes and ultimately lasted over four hours. Many of his patients suffered severe spinal cord damage, resulting in paralysis and pain severe enough to render painkillers ineffective. Advertisements. Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana and spent most of his youth in Memphis, Tennessee. In February 2012, he went under the knife for an elective spinal fusion surgery. ", "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.