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. Donald Duntsch was a gridiron football standout in Montana, and . So as Duntsch operated on Efurd, he quarreled with Kissinger and his supervisors, insisting on a craniotomy for 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. The nursing staff put down towels to soak it up. Prosecutors also faulted Duntsch's employers for not reporting him. MISI representatives stated he would brag about his capabilities and be critical of the work of other surgeons. How could Dr. Christopher Duntsch practice medicine for as long as he did without being stopped? Though he appealed his conviction in 2018, it was denied. Having exhausted his football eligibility, Duntsch decided to switch to a career in medicine. Promising Beginnings. Advertisements. [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. 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. Over this period, Duntsch performed back surgeries that left his patients in a worse condition, paralyzed, or deceased. 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 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 . 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. During his surgery, Duntsch didnt installed the necessary hardware to Muses spine and instead had left it floating between the spine and muscle tissue. The problem was that Dallas Medical Center did not perform those or even have the proper equipment to do them. Pic credit: Dallas County Sheriff's Office. Christopher Duntsch is a former neurosurgeon known by his nickname Dr. Death or Dr. D. The Montana native got his nickname for his malpractice while working at hospitals in Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. He was left with only one vocal cord, permanent damage to his esophagus, and partial paralysis on his left side. His first and only surgery with MISI was on a Thursday in September 2011 at Baylor Plano. When Henderson opened the freshly made incisions on her, he was appalled. Dr. Death in surgery. [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. Under heavy lobbying from Kirby and Henderson, the Texas Medical Board suspended Duntsch's license on June 26, 2013. D Magazine gave him the nickname in . Homesick, Duntsch left Colorado after a year and transferred to Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis. Film & TV 'Dr. Death' Condemns Christopher Duntsch, but the Real Culprit Is Texas's Broken Health-Care System I helped break the story on the convicted surgeon, but Peacock's dramatized . [36] On February 20, 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison. According to D Magazine, a doctor at the hospital where Duntsch worked said that Duntsch had been sent to an impaired physician program after he refused to take a drug test. Duntsch is at the O. Out of his 38 surgeries, only three had no complications. Dr Deathis a new limited series about the rise and fall of Duntsch. Everything went perfect in there." He earned his M.D. Legacy Surgery Center in Frisco (now Frisco Ambulatory Surgery Center). He moved in with his parents in Colorado and filed for bankruptcy, claiming around one million dollars in debt. There are a lot of explanations proposed for why the real-life subject of Peacock's "Dr. Death" limited series, neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duntsch (played by Joshua Jackson), maimed and . However, Duntsch was allowed to resign, and the hospital didn't notify the National Practitioner Data Bankagain. Before going to medical school, Duntsch wanted to be a pro-football player. After the operation, Brown woke up and seemed fine, but early the following day; she lost consciousness. According to court documents, surgeons at the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute soon grew suspicious of Duntsch. Caroline is a writer and Florida-transplant currently living in New York City. While they were in the lab working, Duntsch went to work raising money for a company he called DiscGenics. We've had a catastrophic event here. He is currently appealing this sentence. Baylor Plano allowed Duntsch to continue operating despite the documented issues with Kenneth Fennell, Mary Efurd, Lee Passmore, and Barry Morguloff's surgeries. 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. In effect, plaintiffs have to prove a tough case without access to the necessary hospital records. [19] Prosecutors sought a sentence long enough to ensure that Duntsch would never be able to practice medicine again. His name appeared on several papers and patents, and he took part in a number of biotech startups. Anatomy of a Tragedy. Duntsch told his friends and family that Passmore would be fine in a day or two and to not worry about it. He was then brought on board at the Dallas Medical Center where he continued his carnage. After a fall in her kitchen, Martin experienced chronic back pain and sought out surgery to alleviate it. The patient was Mary Efurd coming in for a second operation. Wendy Renee Young and Christopher Duntsch first met in 2011 at a Beauty Shop bar in Memphis. The staff told Duntsch that Brown, his patient from the day before, was in critical condition. Kane also recalled a cocaine- and LSD-fueled night of partying between her, her ex-boyfriend, and Duntsch where, after the end of their all-night party, she saw Duntsch put on his lab coat and go to work. [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. Duntsch is a former neurosurgeon born in 1971 in Montana . However, the surgery had to be moved to November 14 because Duntsch had failed to order the appropriate surgical hardware and equipment. 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 charismatic neurosurgeon was actually a successful researcher before he starting killing people in the operating . My surgery was 3 months ago but i noticed difference right away. One of the early investors in DiscGenics, Rand Page, said Duntsch would be mixing a vodka orange juice during their morning meetings. 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. On May 24, 2011, Christopher Duntsch signed a physician services agreement with Rimlawi and Won's Minimally Invasive Spine Institute (MISI) in Dallas. When Martin awoke from anesthesia, she was screaming and clawing at her legs which had become patchy and full of purple streaks and spots. [4], Longtime spine surgeon Robert Henderson performed the salvage surgery on Efurd. In 2017, Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of maiming one of his patients. I left with him and believed in him and then, you know, he just kind of fell apart.. He felt that anyone with a basic knowledge of human anatomy would know that he was operating in the wrong area of Efurd's back. In September 2012, Jeff Cheney went to Duntsch to relieve the pain that had moved from his shoulder down to his arm. During his short tenure, he spent little time in the operating room. His case is receiving renewed attention in the media. Duntsch also removed so much bone and muscle tissue from Summers' neck that his head was no longer secure on his body. 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. For the last three days, jurors listened to testimony in the . 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. During a deposition, Megan Krane recalled Duntsch eating a paper blotter of LSD and taking prescription painkillers on his birthday. [19], In July 2015, approximately a year and a half after his license was revoked, Duntsch was arrested in Dallas and charged with six felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, five counts of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, and one count of injury to an elderly person. Dhruv Trivedi. But soon his patients started to experience complications, and the system failed to protect them. Muse woke up in considerable pain, but Duntsch convinced him it was normal. "Based on a hit podcast and inspired by the terrifying true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a young and charismatic star in the Texas medical community," Peacock explains about the series. Before he was "Dr. Death" on Wondery's hit 2018 podcast, disgraced former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch was a student at Colorado State University. No one can pay to remove ratings. He remained there for several months before being allowed to return to the residency. i feel much better now ! [42] The four hospitals that employed Duntsch have ongoing civil cases against him. Plans start at $4.99/month. Dr. Duntsch assured Muse that the pain was normal and prescribed him, strong pain killers, causing him to spiral into an addiction. 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. Philip Mayfield, one of Christopher Duntschs patients, who was paralyzed after his surgery. With Brown still in the ICU, Duntsch took another patient into surgery that morning. My experience with this doctor has been great. Kirby warned him again that it was only a matter of time. The day after Mary Efurd's surgery, she awoke in excruciating pain and could not turn over or wiggle her toes. Duntschs career started off bright. 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. 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. Duntsch had also installed hardware into her muscle, not her bone, so loose that it moved when you touched it.
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