", "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. This way hisrecordin the national data bank remained spotless and he quickly moved on to Dallas Medical Center, where he was recruited to work just three months after leaving Baylor-Plano. Death'? Death showrunner Patrick McManus told, It was as if he knew everything to do, Henderson, (played by Alec Baldwin in the Peacock series) told. Death, Surgery Records, Conjoined Twins Abby and Brittany Hensel Decide on Procreation, Danny DeVito Short Statures Is Not A Hindrance to Success, Mayim Bialik Talks About Prader-Willi Syndrome. Duntsch moved to Denver, Colorado, and went into a downward spiral. He later appealed his case, but lost when his conviction was upheld 2-1 in the Fifth District Court of Appeals . To become a neurosurgeon, one typically has to complete over 1000 surgeries in residency, but somehow, reporter Laura Beil discovered that Duntsch only completed 100. Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a formr nurse practitioner in Dallas, Texas, was found guilty of maiming his elderly patient Mary Efurd and was sentenced to life in prison in February 2017. He refused to abort the surgery even after a trauma surgeon colleague and an anesthesiologist warned him about the blood loss. Out of those surgeries, two patients were killed. The Secrets of Stardew Valleys Elusive Eel, Praetorium FFXIV A Different Perspective, Edwin Rist: The Feather Thief of the British Museum, New Moon: Reflecting Edwards Perspective, Storing Brazil Nuts for Maximum Shelf Life, The Mysterious Clicks of the Black Bird: Deciphering The Noise. Two of his patients died as the direct result of his actions in the operating room. A companion docuseries Dr. According to him, Duntsch had a "great work ethic" and no areas of weakness. This True Crime Podcast Follows One Baby Jane Doe Case That Leads to Another Mystery (EXCLUSIVE), A Commune Goes Viral on TikTok Now, Former Members Are Speaking Out (EXCLUSIVE), The Botched Investigation of Heather Bogle's Murder Put a Detective Behind Bars. Dr. Death (2021 TV series) Dr. Death is an American crime drama miniseries created by Patrick Macmanus, based on the podcast of the same name, focusing on the titular Christopher Duntsch, a neurosurgeon who became infamous for permanently mutilating his patients, killing two of them. But the media definitely played its part sending Dr. Death where he rightfully belongs, life in prison. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. [6], Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana and spent most of his youth in Memphis, Tennessee. Duntsch was granted temporary surgical privileges at Dallas Medical Center, while hospital officials waited for his medical records to arrive from his former post. [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. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, How Dr Death Star Joshua Jackson Learned to Perform Spectacularly Bad Surgery, Why Dr Death Showrunner Used Dual Timelines to Unravel Duntschs Occams Razor Email. From celebrity gossip to healthy living tips and from new technologies to educational resources - we have it all! 'Dr. Death' Explores Christopher Duntsch's Many Botched Surgeries In reality, he makes everything so, so much worse. 33 of his 37 surgeries were botched, with two dead and 31 injured for life. "You don't know this yet, but you will never walk again. He was even more certain of his brilliance at the end than he was at the beginning, Joshua Jackson tells TheWrap, (Warning: This post contains spoilers through the finale of Peacocks Dr. Did Christopher Duntsch Have Any Successful Surgeries? [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. Meanwhile, his patients kept suffering, and dying, in his OR. Ignatova believes this to be deliberate. The story of Duntsch is featured in a new Peacock show titled Dr. Death, unleashing the terrifying reality. However, the procedure resulted in catastrophic consequences; Summers suffered a vertebral artery dissection that caused paralysis from the neck down and left him a quadriplegic. The monster in the white coat is all too real. And when this podcast tells you all the gory details, you become that patient. At one point, he was only able to eat small bites of food at one time. He was left unable to move from the neck down after Christopher Duntsch, who was once his closest friend, operated on him. Had he been fired, that would have been reportable to the national data bank, so he was able to circumvent a major safety feature in the system, neurosurgeon Dr. Martin Lazar told American Greed.. The difference between Season 6 and the other seasons is it took me more than one surgery on several of the patients to get them fixed. Duntsch ended up slicing her vertebral artery, stopping blood and oxygen flow to her brain. Feb. 7, 2017. Duntsch suggested drilling a hole in Brown's head to relieve the pressure, but was refused permission. According to Rosenblum, Jerry Summers had forgiven Chris Duntsch several years prior to his death. The Wondery podcast Dr. Death broke down Duntsch's career and his various crimes. At Health Grades Duntsch had 4.3 out of 5 stars, "above [the] national average." The series, starring Joshua Jackson asDuntsch, examines that question and finds a deadly combination of mismanagement and a lack of centralized authority in the medical community. He showed a complete lack of knowledge regarding anatomy and medical procedures, making numerous mistakes along the way that should have been avoided. Back in 2018, the Dr. Death podcast took the world by storm when we learned about the killer doctor, Christopher Duntsch. Dr. He promises to take all pain and suffering away. One of the early investors in Duntsch's company Discgenics was Dr. Rand Page. The real question is:Can this TV show bring about a change in medical law, or how hospitals treat their patients and doctors? But with that terrifying track record, how was he able to continue to operate? The Joy of Carolling: A Timeless Tradition, Hoppers Disappearance in Stranger Things Season 4 Explained. His father, Donald, was a physical therapist and Christian missionary, and his mother, Susan, was a schoolteacher. This may have been out of personal preference, or due to a lack of attention to detail on his part. Christopher Duntsch, also known as "Dr. Death," was a neurosurgeon from Dallas, Texas who had a promising career in medicine until it took a disastrous turn. Duntsch graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine and completed a residency program in neurosurgery. Your email address will not be published. Dr. Duntschs last patient was Jeff Glidewell, a patient at Baylor-Plano who had been treated by Duntsch in 2013. Did these doctors truly not see though Duntsch? You can also watchAmerican Greedon CNBC, and Oxygen's own "License to Kill," which profiled Duntsch's deadly malpractice. ", "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. 38. "Dr. Death" Sentenced to Life in Prison. Dr. Death's Christopher Duntsch Is Now Serving a Life Sentence Glidewell was left with only one vocal cord, permanent damage to his esophagus and partial paralysis on his left side. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. And who will Dr. Death be? Christopher Daniel Duntsch is a former neurosurgeon nicknamed Dr. Death for the murder of two of his patients and the maiming of 30 others while working at hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. It would take years for a few dedicated whistle blowers to finally expose him. There is a complexity tohim at times and a kind of tragedy. Now keep in mind, Morgan herself was at the wrong end of some of these suits. "[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. Hubris? [7], While in Memphis, Duntsch began a long-term relationship with Wendy Renee Young. Dr. Death is now also going to be a TV show with Christian Slater and Alec Baldwin playing main roles. His negligence resulted in many serious and life-altering injuries to his patients, including one of his best friends Jerry Summers who was left quadriplegic after surgery. Don tried to convince the jury that his son cared for his patients. Duntsch also received 40 percent of all revenue he generated beyond $800,000 each year. Or at least a morally upright one. This could be path-breaking in the future ofcancer treatment andDr. Duntsch sniffed out the opportunity right away. Was this a way of keeping the University of Tennessee's ranking up? Duntsch went on to work at the Legacy Surgery Center of Frisco and University General Hospital Dallas. [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. The sponge triggered a severe blood-borne infection that caused Glidewell to become septic. Duntsch stuffed a surgical sponge in Glidewell's throat to stanch the bleeding. Ellis Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville and will not be eligible for parole until he is 74 years old in 2045. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. Many shake and tremble, some have unimaginable pain. [35], The last charge was for the maiming and paralyzing of Efurd. There are some who believe that he never wanted to be in the ORat all. B. Ellis Unit outside Huntsville. Yes, Dr. Christopher Duntsch made his friend, Jerry Summers, a quadriplegic. Baylor didn't terminate Duntsch instead they allowedhim to resign his privileges. The hospital initiated another peer review, but Duntsch resigned rather than face certain termination. [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'dassisted Dunstch in the operating room before and called his skills pathetic.". Once back in the operating room, his work resulted in the same deadly consequences, according to Texas Medical Board records. [16] In 2021, he was profiled on CNBC's American Greed.[4][49]. [42] The four hospitals that employed Duntsch have ongoing civil cases against him. Like Boop, Dr. Robertson also gave Duntsch a great review. Death limited series, neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duntsch (played by Joshua Jackson), maimed and killed so many patients who came in for complex but routine procedures. Even the hospitals that he worked for kept enabling him, according to a report by the Dallas County prosecutors. Death: The Undoctored Story' about the real story of the doctor who maimed and killed multiple patients. [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. Christopher Daniel Duntsch (born April 3, 1971) [1] is a former American neurosurgeon who has been nicknamed Dr. D. and Dr. Death [2] for gross malpractice resulting in the maiming of several patients' spines and two deaths while working at hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. After learning thatDuntsch had continued to botch procedures at other facilities, Kirby packaged up a review of five of his cases and sent a desperate plea to the medical board. In February 2021, he passed away from an infection connected to a cervical fusion surgery that he underwent one decade prior. And professional marketing videos got him ready and willing patients. 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. In a 2018 Reddit AMA, one user asked her, In your opinion, was Duntsch really a cold-blooded killer like he wrote in his email, or was he a poorly and undertrained drugged-up neurosurgeon with an ego the size of Tennessee?. Duntsch was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2017, finally ensuring the scalpel would stay out of his hands. Muse woke up in considerable pain, but Duntsch convinced him it was normal. He was running research labs and had ambitions of becoming a successful surgeon, but thigs soon took a turn for the worse. 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. Instead of performing the miracles he promised for his patients, he injured33 out of 38 of the people in his carein less than two years. "[20][4] Under heavy lobbying from Kirby and Henderson, the Texas Medical Board suspended Duntsch's license on June 26, 2013. Death viewers. Since receiving his life sentence, Dr Death is currently housed in the O.B. [38] Shughart countered that the 2011 email, sent after his first surgeries went wrong, proved that Duntsch knew his actions were intentional. [7], Henderson later recalled wondering if Duntsch was an impostor; he could not believe that a real surgeon would botch Efurd's surgery so badly.