On December 30, 2011, Duntsch operated on Lee Passmore. Fennell required months of rehabilitation to be able to walk with a cane, and was left unable to walk for more than 30 feet or stand for more than a few minutes without having to sit down again. Philip is one of more than 30 people maimed by Dr. Christopher Duntsch, nicknamed Dr. Death by the media. 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. [4] [19], Despite both of his surgeries at Dallas Medical Center going catastrophically awry, hospital officials did not report him to the NPDB. 12 Unnerving Facts About Dr. Death Christopher Duntsch - Ranker Baylor Plano again ordered Duntsch to take a drug test. But police say an email Duntsch wrote in 2011 points to his mind-set in the months before he "intentionally, knowingly and . They talked about marriage quickly, and they moved in together within three months. Did Christopher Duntsch Have Any Successful Surgeries? She suffered a stroke as a result. Three holes had been poked into Efurd's spinal column where Duntsch had tried and failed to insert screws. While they were in the lab working, Duntsch went to work raising money for a company he called DiscGenics. Passmore says if he settles, he is allowing the hospital to continue to get away with their negligence. Due to the debilitating pain, Fennell later had a second operation by Duntsch to relieve it, and was left significantly paralyzed in his legs. He wrote grants and secured more than $3 million in funding. [38][39] On December 10, 2018, the Texas Court of Appeals affirmed Duntsch's conviction by a 21 split decision. My surgery was 3 months ago but i noticed difference right away. 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 . 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 . He wanted to become a doctor, and not just any doctor - a neurosurgeon, operating on injured backs and necks. Christopher was raised along with his three younger siblings in a wealthy suburb in Memphis, Tennessee. She came in to have two vertebrae fused, but when she woke up she experienced severe pain and couldnt stand. During this time, he ran two successful labs and raised millions of dollars in grant funding. Facebook Wendy Renee Young and Christopher Duntsch. However, during training for neurosurgery he followed a research path and did fewer operations than most trainees. She was left with just one vocal cord. She said she thought that he was going to make millions, Kimberly Morgan's friend once said her attraction to Christopher Duntsch. According to his lawyers, Duntsch had not realized how poorly he had performed as a surgeon until he heard the prosecution experts tell the jury about his many blunders on the operating table. 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. Dr. Death, read about how reckless surgeon Robert Liston killed his patient and two bystanders. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Baylor suspended Duntsch, pictured, for a month. [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. He recommended fusing two of her vertebrae and the insertion of "hardware" in her spinal area. He realized he'd seen that hole for three straight days Duntsch hadn't changed his scrubs all week. B. Ellis Unit outside Huntsville. The series is set to premiere on July 12 and will feature a star-studded cast. Before working with him, Dr. Hoyle said that he didnt know how to feel about his fellow surgeon. Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana and spent most of his youth in Memphis, Tennessee. No diagnostic imaging studies were ordered, and no reasonable explanation was offered for his condition. 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]. 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. Dr. Hassan Chahadeh, the owner, said when Duntsch had applied for privileges, his record was clean. However, he sewed up Glidewell with the sponge still in place despite others in the operating room warning him about it. He died in 2021 of an infection related to complications from Duntsch's operation. He claimed he was the best in Dallas. His pain management specialist advised against an operation but referred him to a neurosurgeon named Christopher Duntsch. Dr. Death season one review: a true crime podcast is even scarier - Vox Part of the problem was being able to prove that Duntsch's actions were willful as defined by Texas law. 5 years after 'Dr. Death,' doctors still come to Texas to leave pasts When Henderson saw the imaging from Duntsch's surgery, he was certain that there would be legal action, and had the salvage surgery recorded. Many of his patients suffered severe spinal cord damage, resulting in paralysis and pain severe enough to render painkillers ineffective. Christopher Duntsch was a neurosurgeon who radiated confidence. 'Dr. Death' Condemns Christopher Duntsch, but the Real Culprit Is Texas Dr. Robert Henderson was brought in on July 28, 2012, to perform a revision surgery on Efurd. Dr. Phil airs on weekdays. The nursing staff put down towels to soak it up. He then prescribed Muse so much Percocet that a pharmacist refused to fill the prescription. From 2017: https://bit.ly/3hXJccx A neurosurgery expert for Duntsch's defense team himself said, "The conditions which created Dr. Duntsch still exist, thereby making it possible for another to come along.". Who Were The Victims Of Dr. Christopher Duntsch? | True Crime Buzz [9] Texas Medical Board Revocation Order. 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. Unfortunately, it's all too real. Christopher Duntsch Wiki, Biography, Age, Wife, Family, Net Worth "He said the patient died from having an allergic reaction to the anesthesia." Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. Vaccinated people who catch Covid are reporting unique symptoms - the 4 signs to watch for, Man, 34, charged with murder after woman, 63, killed in house fire as family vow 'you'll never be forgotten', Six dead after private jet crashes and explodes in fireball between two houses sparking forest blaze near golf course. But, she never reported Duntsch up the ladder or told anyone about the horrors she witnessed in the operating room. Death,' Dallas neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch", "Texas neurosurgeon nicknamed 'Dr. [27], While attempting to remove degenerated discs in Marshall "Tex" Muse's back, Duntsch left surgical hardware floating between the spine and muscle tissue. Duntsch is a serial maimer and killer. Im the only clean minimally invasive guy in the whole state.. In his deposition, Summers admitted he made up the pre-surgery cocaine binge because he felt Duntsch had abandoned him, as both his doctor and his friend. [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. 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. Christopher Duntsch appeared to havean impressive resume, but left a trail ofpain and devastation for those who trusted him with their health. [30], Henderson and Kirby feared that Duntsch could move elsewhere and still theoretically get a medical license. Despite his colleagues being [] July 19, 2021. The day after Mary Efurd's surgery, she awoke in excruciating pain and could not turn over or wiggle her toes. Duntsch also appears in no yearbooks during the time in which he says he earned his Ph.D. During surgery, Duntsch damaged Summers' vertebral artery causing it to bleed uncontrollably. Having exhausted his football eligibility, Duntsch decided to switch to a career in medicine. Since receiving his life sentence, Dr Death is currently housed in the O.B. By the end of the week, administrators told Duntsch he would no longer be operating at Dallas Medical Center. During his short tenure, he spent little time in the operating room. Pic credit: Dallas County Sheriff's Office. My experience with this doctor has been great. The sponge triggered a severe blood-borne infection that caused Glidewell to become septic. The bad doctor: A health care worker doing harm - Plano Magazine [4], Upon applying for work, he looked extremely qualified on paper: he had spent a total of fifteen years in training (medical school, residency and fellowship), and his curriculum vitae was twelve single-spaced pages. When Martin awoke from anesthesia, she was screaming and clawing at her legs which had become patchy and full of purple streaks and spots. (Dallas County Jail via AP) Gift Article. Left: WFAA-TV, Right: D MagazineLeft: Christopher Duntsch in surgery, Right: Christopher Duntschs mugshot. The story of Dr. Death, Christopher Duntsch, feels like something out of a movie or book. [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. His case is receiving renewed attention in the media. 0:05. It was Duntsch, babbling about his family being in danger. Hoyle called the surgery sloppy enough to cancel the remaining four operations he had scheduled with Duntsch and vowed never to work with him again. Chahadeh was worried about his facility and getting sued by Duntsch; he said to Dr. Kirby that they had already given him privileges. The criminal conviction of Christopher Duntsch, MD, PhD, holds important lessons for risk managers. Duntsch focused on his research for a while but was recruited from Memphis to join the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute in North Dallas in the summer of 2011. Christopher Daniel Duntsch was born in Montana on April 3, 1971, and raised alongside his three siblings in an affluent suburb of Memphis, Tennessee. Prosecutors also faulted Duntsch's employers for not reporting him. Dr. Death in surgery. It told the unfortunately true story of Doctor Christopher Duntsch, who was eventually sentenced to life in prison for maiming an elderly patient. [7] He lasted for less than a week before administrators pulled his privileges after the death of a patient, Floella Brown, and the maiming of another, Mary Efurd. Now, a podcast called Dr. Death is breaking down the deranged surgeon's criminal acts and shows how drug abuse and blinding overconfidence led to big trouble for the patients who found themselves underneath the spiraling doctor's knife.. However, red flags surfaced early on, as nurses wondered if Duntsch was under the influence of drugs while on duty. Duntsch told his friends and family that Passmore would be fine in a day or two and to not worry about it. A CT scan would later reveal that Efurds nerve root had been amputated, there were several screw holes nowhere near where they were supposed to be, and one screw had been lodged in another nerve root. Dr. Duntsch said to Cheney, "I don't know why you're this way. The former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch was finally brought to justice after injuring and maiming over 30 of his patients during surgery and allegedly causing the deaths of two more. Officers said he was driving on the left side of the road with two flat tires. With Brown still in the ICU, Duntsch took another patient into surgery that morning. Duntsch is the first physician sentenced to life in prison for his actions while practicing medicine. Duntsch did not respond to messages from the hospital for a few hours, then the next day scheduled an elective surgery on Efurd rather than care for Brown. 'Dr. Death': Texas Neurosurgeon Sentenced to Life in Prison - Peoplemag The case highlights the risks of allowing a troubled physician to move to another hospital . [14] He persuaded Young to come with him; Young agreed, since she had grown up in the Dallas area. Anatomy of a Tragedy: The Story Behind 'Sociopath Surgeon' Christopher Joshua Jackson went to the dark side to play Dr. Christopher Duntsch, who's serving a life sentence for maiming a woman during surgery, in the new Peacock series Dr. Death. The charismatic neurosurgeon was actually a successful researcher before he starting killing people in the operating . Plano's 'Doctor Death': The Christopher Duntsch case - YouTube Before going to medical school, Duntsch wanted to be a pro-football player. Donald Duntsch was a gridiron football standout in Montana, and Christopher was determined to follow in those footsteps. In January 2013, Kenneth Fennell was scheduled for another operation because he was still experiencing extreme pain in his back. Dhruv Trivedi. Wendy Young Says Christopher Duntsch Broke Into Home Covered In Blood He ran two labs, gained experience writing grants, and earned more than $3 million in funding for research projects. Where is Michelle Shughart Now? - The Cinemaholic He did his surgical residency at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, spending five years studying neurosurgery and a year studying general surgery. Where is Kim Morgan Now? Death'? Veteran vascular surgeon Randall Kirby recalled that Duntsch frequently boasted about his abilities despite being so new to the area. [4] Mayfield died of COVID-19 in February 2021; according to his wife, he had been vulnerable to the virus due to complications caused by Duntsch's botched surgeries. But, he can only walk 30 feet at a time and cannot stand for more than a few minutes. Dr. Death: Disgraced surgeon at center of podcast, show has CSU roots Of those 38, 31 were leftparalyzed or seriously injured and two of them died from surgical complications. [38] Shughart countered that the 2011 email, sent after his first surgeries went wrong, proved that Duntsch knew his actions were intentional. Who Is Christopher Duntsch, The Man Nicknamed 'Dr. Death' Who Injured