Duntsch wrote that he accepted he was a cold-blooded killer. Death: The Undoctored Story launches July 29. Did these doctors truly not see though Duntsch? Passmore says the space above a disc in his lower spine had been blown out in the first surgery, and Duntsch returned to . This despite the drug problems as well as incomplete residency training. 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 DallasFort Worth metroplex. She had come to Duntsch for cervical spine surgery to ease her worsening neck and shoulder . [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. "Dr. Death" is about Christopher Duntsch, an accredited but incompetent Dallas neurosurgeon, whose wrongdoing was close to butchery. Whatever Duntsch set out to be when he first donned that white coat, being a media sensation for all the wrong reasons may not have been his goal. Currently, Discgenics has no mention of Duntsch at all, his history with the company, or that he's the massive elephant in the room. Prosecutors also faulted Duntsch's employers for not reporting him. Jerrys death is particularly tragic as it is linked to the surgeon from the podcast series Dr Death. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. In 2012, Summers underwent spinal surgery performed by Dr. Duntsch in an effort to improve his neck and arm pain. Death showrunner Patrick McManus told Oxygen.com's Stephanie Gomulka, the series exploresthe complexities of representing Duntsch as a conventional antagonist, saying, "Christopher Duntschis unlike most villainsthat inhabit the true crime space. Across two years, Duntsch injured 32 of his 38 patients, maiming many and leaving them with life-changing injuries. The majority of neurosurgery residents participate in over 1,000 surgeries throughout their residency period. Several of Duntsch's surgeries at Baylor Plano resulted in severely maimed patients: Baylor Plano officials found that Duntsch failed to meet their standards of care and permanently revoked his surgical privileges. Chris Duntsch left DiscGenics after being sued by the companys former Chief Operating Officer in 2011. Due to the debilitating pain, Fennell later had a second operation by Duntsch to relieve it, and was left significantly paralyzed in his legs. The other survivors suffered damage, disability,and excruciating pain. Amphibia Season 2 Now Streaming on Disney+! What isscarierare the 12 names that follow his. [38], Duntsch is housed at the O. Copyright 2023 Distractify. It would take years for a few dedicated whistle blowers to finally expose him. Efurd was left paralyzed. 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. This suggests that Summers had come to terms with Duntsch and had moved past any ill feelings he may have held against him. He declared bankruptcy after listing debts of over $1 million. 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. Death showrunner Patrick McManus told, It was as if he knew everything to do, Henderson, (played by Alec Baldwin in the Peacock series) told. To avoid the costs of fighting and possibly losing a wrongful termination suit, hospital officials reached a deal with Duntsch's lawyers in which Duntsch was allowed to resign in return for Baylor Plano issuing a letter stating that there were no issues with him. Ellis Unit outside of Huntsville, Texas. The information it tracks, includingmalpractice payouts and suspensions, is available only to hospital administrators, not doctors or patients. However, the proportion of successful operations compared to those which resulted in injury or death remains unclear. Peacock is free as a bird. While some called his eventual downfall greed-related, who knows what evil the human mind is capable of. And Patrick [Macmanus, the Dr. Peacocks Free tier includes 7,500 hours of ad-supported programming, including next-day access to episodes of first-year NBC shows, as well as a rotating lineup of classic films and television series. In July 2015, indictments came through. [16] In 2021, he was profiled on CNBC's American Greed.[4][49]. Death, [Wonderys podcast on which the Peacock series is based]. So I definitely think thats a huge part of it. An Analysis of Christopher Duntsch, Dr. The Texas Medical Board must stop this sociopath Duntsch immediately or he will continue to maim and kill innocent patients, Kirby wrote in the letter. In addition, he was mixed up with an addiction to cocaine and other drugs, with peers reporting that he would go on all-night benders before operating the next day. The story of Duntsch is featured in a new Peacock show titled Dr. Death, unleashing the terrifying reality. However, he closed Glidewell with the sponge in place despite others in the operating room warning him about it. [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. [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. Dr. Christopher Duntsch seemed to be a successful neurosurgeon in the Dallas area. Dr. Christopher Duntsch had the hallmarks of an impressive neurosurgeon, at least in theory. Christopher Duntsch, also known as Dr. 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. No, Jerry Summers, who was Christophers childhood friend, is no longer alive. Ultimately, Christopher Duntschs legacy will be remembered as one of a doctor who made mistakes which caused irreparable damage to his patients lives. 33 of his 37 surgeries were botched, with two dead and 31 injured for life. Veteran vascular surgeon Randall Kirby recalled that Duntsch frequently boasted about his abilities despite being so new to the area. However, by the time he met Young, Duntsch was over $500,000 in debt. Some of those who went under Duntschs knife were left paralyzed, two died from surgical complications and others were left in agonizing chronic pain. It would be very easy and for people to just plop Black Hat on him and call it a day and sleep well at night thinking that he was an aberration.". [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. His very first operation at the hospital would once again turn deadly. Before going to medical school, Duntsch wanted to be a pro-football player. Duntsch continued operating despite clear signs that Martin was losing massive amounts of blood. 33 of his 37 surgeries were botched, with two dead and 31 injured for life. Hospitals are liable only if the plaintiff can prove that the hospital was also malicious, that it knew of the risk and ignored it. After a lengthy investigation by the Texas Medical Board and the Dallas County District Attorneys Office, Dr. Duntsch was arrested on August 19th, 2015 and charged with five counts of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. And not just any doctor a neurosurgeon, operating on injured backs and necks. 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. The evidence said otherwise. He grew up in a middle-class suburb with a teacher mom and a missionary/physical therapist dad. In the first 15 minutes of the premiere alone, the viewer is asked to watch as Dr. Duntsch (played by Joshua Jackson) cuts his patients open, and loudly clamors at bone with hammers and screws . Let's delve into what made him tick, and how the medical community failed the victims of Dr. Christopher Daniel Duntsch. With such goings-on, Duntsch got himself kicked out of his own company. Death portrays him as having only one child, but in reality he has two sons with his wife, Michelle Young. Duntsch then joined Dallas Medical Center. They have two sons. Slater plays Dr. Randall Kirby while Baldwin is Dr. Robert Henderson. To some, this came off as confidence, but as he brought his ego into medicine, doctors around him started to recognize him as a textbook case of narcissism. Distractify is a registered trademark. The real question is:Why couldn't anyone stop him in time? A veteran investigative reporter in the medical field, her voice enthralls. 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. This all happened despite numerous complaints from surgeons and patients, as well as allegations of drug and alcohol abuse. You can also watchAmerican Greedon CNBC, and Oxygen's own "License to Kill," which profiled Duntsch's deadly malpractice. In the deposition, she states that Duntsch snorted cocaine from a handy pile he kept on a dresser at his home. Duntsch was granted temporary surgical privileges at Dallas Medical Center, while hospital officials waited for his medical records to arrive from his former post. On July 24, 2012, Duntsch operated on Floella Brown, 64, a banker about to retire after a long career. I have one last thing to remind the Texas Medical Boardyour mission is to protect the publicDr. From the top of his class to life in prison: things did not go as he planned. Kane came into the picture as a deposition witness. Christopher Duntsch had two children: Preston and Aiden. According to the prosecutors, TMB had many complaints on file. Duntsch left Dallas Medical Center, but once again was not reported to the national data bankbecause he was not a full staff member and only worked there using temporary privileges. What turned Dr. Christopher Duntsch into Dr. Death? Thats almost like, Hey, lets just see what happens. So I just dont know.. Dr. Robert Henderson, a spinal surgeon who later took over Efurds care, would later testify that Duntsch had operated in the wrong place in her back, amputated a nerve root and botched the implantation of a device meant to stabilize her spine. [38] Shughart countered that the 2011 email, sent after his first surgeries went wrong, proved that Duntsch knew his actions were intentional.