But, he can only walk 30 feet at a time and cannot stand for more than a few minutes. The patient was Mary Efurd coming in for a second operation. Why do Slipknot wear masks and what do they look like without? However, during training for neurosurgery he followed a research path and did fewer operations than most trainees. Duntsch received his undergraduate degree from the University of Memphis and stayed in town to receive an M.D. 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. The surgery was scheduled for December 30, 2011. Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Policy | Compact with Texans | Website Linking Policy; Please contact Pre-Licensure, Registration and Consumer Services at . The series is set to premiere on July 12 and will feature a star-studded cast. Baylor wanted Duntsch operating quickly and often so they could be reimbursed for the monies they had advanced to him. Out of his 38 surgeries, only three had no complications. By this time, Duntsch was almost penniless, and the judge had to appoint a lawyer for him. 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. He is not eligible for parole until 2045; he will be 74 years old by then. For instance, he upbraided him for missing the signs that Martin was bleeding out, saying that, "You can't not know [that] and be a neurosurgeon. 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." [12], Initially, Duntsch focused heavily on the PhD half of his degree. 'Dr. Death' Case Holds Lessons for Risk Managers, Hospitals It had come from Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. 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.". In October 2011, she registered articles of incorporation to form Duntsch's practice, the Texas Neurosurgical Institute. Peacock's Dr. Death is a chilling dramatization of the real-life story of former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch. and Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee Health Center. But police say an email Duntsch wrote in 2011 points to his mind-set in the months before he "intentionally, knowingly and . by Saul Elbein. Dr. Death is based on the podcast of the same name, produced by Wondery. Donald Duntsch was a gridiron football standout in Montana, and Christopher was determined to follow in those footsteps. He didn't wear underwear. 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. The surgery was supposed to take less than 45 minutes and ultimately lasted over four hours. Donald Duntsch was a gridiron football standout in Montana, and . 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. [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. [9][10], Duntsch had severed Brown's vertebral artery, and refused to abort despite the massive blood loss. Duntsch also appears in no yearbooks during the time in which he says he earned his Ph.D. I can't believe that you're accusing me of killing someone,'" Muse recounted. His CV also conveyed he earned a Ph.D. in microbiology from St. Jude Children's Research Hospitals, graduating summa cum laude. When other doctors discovered the sponge, Duntsch refused to return to help remove it. Christopher Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison in February 2017 for his heinous acts. Homesick, Duntsch left Colorado after a year and transferred to Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis. Dr. Death: La verdadera historia detrs de la nueva serie sobre el ex 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. Christopher Duntsch is confirmed to have injured 31 patients and killed two . His first and only surgery with MISI was on a Thursday in September 2011 at Baylor Plano. Dr. Phil airs on weekdays. [38], Duntsch is housed at the O. [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. After intense rehab and his determination, eventually, he was able to use a walker and cane to mobilize himself. ", "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. Officers said he was driving on the left side of the road with two flat tires. He was wearing the shirt of his black scrubs, and it was covered in blood. His mother, Susan, was a school teacher. [2][4][19][7], Duntsch moved to Dallas Medical Center in Farmers Branch, where he was granted temporary privileges until hospital officials could obtain his records from Baylor Plano. 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. [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. Duntsch is a former Dallas neurosurgeon who, through . Troy was left barely able to speak above a whisper, had to be sedated for weeks and had to be fed through a feeding tube for some time as food was getting into her lungs. 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. 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.. He proved to be Duntsch's last surgery; University General pushed him out soon afterward. Death'? Duntsch filed a patent for the technology, and he listed himself as one of the inventors even though he had not discovered it. They argued that Duntsch was motivated to continue operating because the salary of a neurosurgeon would solve his vast financial issues. The series peers into the torturous crimes of . 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. Despite his colleagues being [] For the last three days, jurors listened to testimony in the . 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. Efurd eventually gained back some control and mobility, but she now uses a wheelchair and suffers chronic pain. "[3] 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. Baylor Plano again ordered Duntsch to take a drug test. Texas Attorney General 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. Former teammates later said that, while Duntsch trained hard, he lacked talent at the game. The hospital called Rimlawi when it couldn't reach his colleague. "As his victims pile up, two fellow physicians and Dallas prosecutor Michelle Shughart set out to stop him.". It stars Joshua Jackson as Duntsch, Alec Baldwin as Robert Henderson, Christian Slater as Randall Kirby and AnnaSophia Robb as Michelle Shughart. Neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch was nicknamed Dr Death: Evil Lives 3-Jeff Glidewell, another victim of Duntsch's. 4-Michelle Shugart, the woman who brought this all to fruition . Duntsch stuffed Glidewell's throat with a surgical sponge to attempt to stop the bleeding. In my opinion, we had a serial killer in our medical community, Dr. Randall Kirbysays of Christopher Duntsch in "Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story.". The nursing staff put down towels to soak it up. 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. Death. During his short tenure, he spent little time in the operating room. Why Did Dr. Death Do It? 'Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story' Explains Convinced that he was a clear and present danger to the public, they urged the Dallas County district attorney's office to pursue criminal charges. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Famously known by the Family name Christopher Daniel Duntsch, is a great neurosurgeon and convicted criminal for malpractice.He was born on April 3, 1971, in Montana. He died in 2021 of an infection related to complications from Duntsch's operation. Dr. Fulton never worked with Duntsch again. 0:05. Who is Christopher Duntsch and what did he do? | The US Sun Unfortunately, when Fennell woke up from surgery, he was paralyzed from the waist down. It was completely unnecessary, didn't relieve her pain, and only set her up for another needed surgery. However, by the time he met Young, Duntsch was over $500,000 in debt. ", "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. It was determined during the repair surgery that Dr. Duntsch had not even been operating on the correct part of Jeff Glidewell's spine. B. Ellis Unit outside Huntsville. [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. He realized he'd seen that hole for three straight days Duntsch hadn't changed his scrubs all week. Where Is Christopher Duntsch's Wife Wendy Renee Young Now? He was smart. 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. Jeff Glidewell Today: Where Is Dr. Death's Last Patient Now? - Heavy.com She was dancing at a strip club in Memphis, and Duntsch's issues with his business, DiscGenics, grew more severe. They argued that Duntsch was motivated to continue operating because the lucrative salary of a neurosurgeon would solve his mounting financial problems. So as Duntsch operated on Efurd, he quarreled with Kissinger and his supervisors, insisting on a craniotomy for Brown. Left: WFAA-TV, Right: D MagazineLeft: Christopher Duntsch in surgery, Right: Christopher Duntschs mugshot. Duntschs career started off bright. He is currently appealing this sentence. "[32][9] ADA Michelle Shughart, who led the prosecution of Duntsch, later recalled that Henderson, Kirby, and Lazar contacted her demanding to testify against Duntsch; according to Shughart, doctors almost never testify against each other. 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 . 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 . 'Dr Death' Stars Share Why They Think Christopher Duntsch - TheWrap She also said that he kept a pile of cocaine on his dresser in his home office. Morguloff sought a second opinion on his excruciating pain from Dr. Michael Desaloms. [7], While in Memphis, Duntsch began a long-term relationship with Wendy Renee Young. She had suffered from lower back pain for years and was referred to Duntsch by her pain management doctor. The surgical disasters of neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch led to his jailing in 2017, setting a legal precedent. In April 2015, Duntsch was arrested again for shoplifting $887 worth of merchandise from a Dallas Walmart. Officers took him to a nearby psychiatric hospital. Duntsch continued to medicate Morguloff with prescription pain killers and ignored the change in his condition. 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. He decided to turn to neurosurgery, which can be a lucrative field. Ratings for Dr. Christopher D. Duntsch, Inactive. Journalists must draw attention to the failures in the U.S. medical and legal systems that allowed Christopher Duntsch, the subject of journalist Laura Beil's well-regarded "Dr. Death" podcast series, to injure dozens of patients, members of an expert panel said at the "10 years after 'Dr. Death': Are patients any safer from bad doctors?" panel at Health Journalism 2022 in Austin. 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. Yet, in April 2012, he returned to work just four months after surgery. One of the early investors in DiscGenics, Rand Page, said Duntsch would be mixing a vodka orange juice during their morning meetings. Christopher Duntsch - Wikipedia Prince Charming, Im gonna change your life, Wendy Young said of the promising start to her romance with Christopher Duntsch. Christopher Duntsch: A Review of Clinicide - Walsh Medical Media July 19, 2021. They also believed that charge would be easy to prove in court; Duntsch had been told repeatedly that he was not placing the hardware in the correct position and fluoroscopy images from Efurd's surgery proved this. Ellis Unit outside of Huntsville, Texas. No show's ever made you as terrified of doctors as 'Dr. Death' will Christopher Duntsch Early Life Story, Family Background and Education. Dr. Rimlawi called Baylor Plano and advised them against continuing a relationship with Christopher Duntsch, but this fell to deaf ears. Dr. Duntsch came from a good family and showed considerable potential at medical school. The show starsJoshua Jackson,Grace Gummer, AnnaSophia Robb,Christian SlaterandAlec Baldwin. [35], The last charge was for the maiming and paralyzing of Efurd. The operation should have taken less than ninety minutes; it ultimately lasted four and a half hours. Then check out the horrifying story of Simon Bramhall, a surgeon who admitted to burning his initials into patients livers. [18] Despite this, Duntsch was retained by South Hampton when new owners bought it and renamed it University General Hospital. During surgery, Duntsch damaged Summers' vertebral artery causing it to bleed uncontrollably. Christopher Duntsch. Due to the debilitating pain, Fennell later had a second operation by Duntsch to relieve it, and was left significantly paralyzed in his legs. [38] Shughart countered that the 2011 email, sent after his first surgeries went wrong, proved that Duntsch knew his actions were intentional. "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. Everything went perfect in there." 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. Former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch is one of the most infamous doctors ever brought to trial in a criminal case, and with good reason. DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch has been sentenced to life in prison for a series of botched spinal surgeries, reports CBS . Joshua Jackson on Not Playing Dr. Death as an Evil Man Duntsch had his surgical rights temporarily suspended after his botched surgery on Summers and his first patient back was 55-year-old Kellie Martin. [47] A follow-up docuseries, Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story, was later released on Peacock on July 29, 2021, featuring interviews with some of Duntsch's patients and colleagues, as well as with Henderson, Kirby and Shughart. Duntsch arrived at the hospital about 45 minutes after Efurd's surgery had been scheduled. [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. He refused to abort the surgery even after a trauma surgeon colleague and an anesthesiologist warned him about the blood loss. He avoided it and disappeared for several days. Duntsch told Mayfield's wife it went well, but she instantly knew something was wrong as she walked into his room. Where is Kim Morgan Now? On May 24, 2011, Christopher Duntsch signed a physician services agreement with Rimlawi and Won's Minimally Invasive Spine Institute (MISI) in Dallas. Had Duntsch been fired, Baylor Plano would have been required to report him to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), which is intended to flag problematic physicians. By the end of the week, administrators told Duntsch he would no longer be operating at Dallas Medical Center. Not only was he not qualified for and held no privileges to perform brain surgery, but Dallas Medical did not have the proper equipment or personnel for such an operation. 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. 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. During surgery, Duntsch operated on the wrong part of Fennell's back. He was left with only one vocal cord, permanent damage to his esophagus, and partial paralysis on his left side. [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. How could Dr. Christopher Duntsch practice medicine for as long as he did without being stopped? In 2011, Christopher Duntsch met Wendy Young at the Beauty Shop bar in Memphis. The process involves cutting a hole in the skull to relieve the pressure in the brain. Who Were The Victims Of Dr. Christopher Duntsch? | True Crime Buzz The databank was established in 1990 and tracks malpractice payouts and adverse actions against doctors, such as being fired, banned from Medicare, handed a lengthy suspension, or having their license suspended or revoked. Legacy Surgery Center in Frisco (now Frisco Ambulatory Surgery Center). Advertisements. Even though he lived in Colorado, he returned to Dallas to see his two sons. ", "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. 5 of Dallas County (opinion)", "Texas Court of Appeals Affirms Conviction of 'Dr. He Was Also His Victim. [38][39] On December 10, 2018, the Texas Court of Appeals affirmed Duntsch's conviction by a 21 split decision. She was left with just one vocal cord. Death.. And its all because of one surgeon named Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. His father, Donald, was a physical therapist and Christian missionary. He was nicknamed Dr. D. and Dr. Death for malpractice resulting in the maiming of several patients and killing two of them while working at hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. At one point, an assisting surgeon named Dr. Hoyle observed Duntsch performing such alarming and erratic behavior; he grabbed his hands and pleaded with him to stop. Dallas Magazine states that Duntsch became key in supplying samples to scientists for research. CHRISTOPHER Duntsch, is infamously known as Dr Death for gross malpractice. Immediately, he started yelling and cussing at me, saying, 'How dare you? I thought he was either really, really good, or hes just really, really arrogant and thought he was good, Hoyle said.