These operations were not all successful; the exact number of successful surgeries performed by Duntsch is unknown. Yet, instead of saving lives and using his knowledge for good, the opposite happened. They had discovered stem cells in human brain tumors. The Scariest Thing About "Dr. Death" | Incident Report 190 Again, he never revealed what went wrong to the other staff. I mean, from talking with Michelle, she listened to all of his prison conversations with his dad for research. During his residency program for neurosurgery, he completed fewer than 100 surgeries despite the expected 1,000 operations for a typical resident. ", "Doctor Guilty of Felony Medical Malpractice", "Disciplinary actions against doctors have plunged during the pandemic, but that doesn't mean they are behaving", "An Update on Dr. Death Victim Philip Mayfield", "Jeff Glidewell Today: Where Is Dr. Death's Last Patient Now? You can also watchAmerican Greedon CNBC, and Oxygen's own "License to Kill," which profiled Duntsch's deadly malpractice. A string of arrests for DWI, shoplifting, and more followed. In 2012, Summers underwent spinal surgery performed by Dr. Duntsch in an effort to improve his neck and arm pain. According to his lawyer, Duntsch was a scapegoat. It stars Joshua Jackson as Duntsch, Alec Baldwin as Robert Henderson, Christian Slater as Randall Kirby and AnnaSophia Robb as Michelle Shughart. The statute of limitations made them base their case on only six victims. Several people who were in the operating room for Efurd's surgery suspected that Duntsch might have been intoxicated, recalling that his pupils were dilated. In 2014, they performed a complicated spinal fusion surgery on Glidewell, which ultimately ended up being Dr. Duntschs final surgery before he was arrested and charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault. The suit alleged that Baylor Plano made an average net profit of $65,000 on every spinal surgery performed by Duntsch. The real question isn't why Dr. Duntsch did what he did. Ex-surgeon, who allegedly said he wanted to be a serial killer - Chron In it, he is yelling at Maria Lopez, the medical board investigator assigned to Duntsch's case in January 2013, demanding to know why he was still practicing. CHRISTOPER Duntsch, also known as Dr. Death, was a doctor who seriously harmed and killed patients during surgeries in hospitals across Texas. Let's delve into what made him tick, and how the medical community failed the victims of Dr. Christopher Daniel Duntsch. This is notably weird, considering Christopher Duntsch trained underDr. Boop, so you'd assume that theyoperated together as part of the whole learning surgery process. According to an article by WFAA, Christopher Duntsch's father Don stated his son had called him, completely beside himself, when he botched several surgeries. 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. Duntsch could have turned it into something good and meaningful. That seems like something that goes far beyond. 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. "[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. 5 of Dallas County (opinion)", "Texas Court of Appeals Affirms Conviction of 'Dr. [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. Of course, this is a year where were celebrating doctors and nurses and theyre the heroes of our story. In it,was a mirror with cocaine and a rolled-up dollar bill on top. 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. At Baylor Regional Medical Center,after botched surgeries and complaints from fellow doctors, Duntsch resigned. [19][16] Kirby claimed that it looked as if Duntsch had tried to decapitate Glidewell and contended that such a botched surgery "has not happened in the United States of America" before. In the case of Dr. Out July 15, Dr. Death introduces viewers to Christopher Duntsch, a real-life Texas-based surgeon who in 2017 was sentenced to life in prison after maiming and even killing almost all of the nearly 40 patients he operated on between 2011 and 2013. [36] On February 20, 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison. And this was 10 months before Duntsch's last surgery. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. [12], Initially, Duntsch focused heavily on the PhD half of his degree. Peacock has released 'Dr. The hospital initiated another peer review, but Duntsch resigned rather than face certain termination. But that isn't the scariest part. But I think it speaks to the inequality of who is in power in these bureaucratic institutions where it has to be like two top surgeons who go after him nonstop, putting their necks out, who have to get the government involved, rather than just like a nurse who knows whats up just saying, This didnt go well, and they could just be fired without consequence.. As the eldest of four, his parents remember him as a precocious boy. Glidewell was reportedly still suffering the ill effects of Duntsch's operation years later and has undergone more than 50 procedures to correct the damage. 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. If he could do 50Shades of Grey and some scandalous modeling, playing a menacing Dr. Death should be a piece of cake, right? His investors took him to court. He later appealed his case, but lost when his conviction was upheld 2-1 in the Fifth District Court of Appeals . Why was Dr Duntsch so bad? Chris Duntsch left DiscGenics after being sued by the companys former Chief Operating Officer in 2011. [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. When he finally came to the hospital, he busied himself with another patient, also on the DA's list, Mary Efurd. He is a graduate of Evangelical Christian School in the Cordova suburb of Memphis, where he starred in football.[7]. 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. [27], While attempting to remove degenerated discs in Marshall "Tex" Muse's back, Duntsch left surgical hardware floating between the spine and muscle tissue. What is the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath? Or was Duntsch just good at hiding his true self? 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. Ultimately, Christopher Duntschs legacy will be remembered as one of a doctor who made mistakes which caused irreparable damage to his patients lives. [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. As the trial team put it, the "scary pattern" of Duntsch's actions became apparent to the others in the office, leading the DA to give the green light to take the case to a grand jury. Adams, Michael Kirk, Jack Kirk, and Michael Swan, as well as the press nickname Dr. Death, is an American physician and an admitted serial killer. [10][7], Duntsch completed his residency having participated in fewer than 100 surgeries. 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. [16] Kirby also recalled that Duntsch's skills in the operating room left much to be desired; as Kirby put it, "he could not wield a scalpel".[4]. Death: The Undoctored Story launches July 29. And what stops another physicianfrom turning into the next Dr. Death? [7] While operating on Jacqueline Troy, Duntsch cut one of her vocal cords and an artery and also damaged her trachea. In one, Duntsch tells the story, over stock footage of an operation, of a taxing back surgery he performed on an older woman. Theres blood on a lot of peoples hands, Kay Van Wey, a personal injury lawyer representing some of Duntschs former patients, told American Greed. Many of the decisions that were made in this case by multiple people along the line who had the moral obligation to do the right thing, their decision making was colored and tainted by financial considerations and that is just wrong on every level that I can imagine., Or as the final title card of Dr. Death reads, "This will happen again.". 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. However, by the time he met Young, Duntsch was over $500,000 in debt. Prosecutors also faulted Duntsch's employers for not reporting him. The other survivors suffered damage, disability,and excruciating pain. Unfortunately, Martin and Brown were not alive to tell their tale. 'Dr Death' Stars Share Why They Think Christopher Duntsch - TheWrap He decided to turn to neurosurgery, which can be a lucrative field. It would take years for a few dedicated whistle blowers to finally expose him. He remained there for several months before being allowed to return to the residency. Death'? But what do the actors who inhabited these roles think of the real Duntsch, who was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 patients in less than two years before his license was revoked by theTexas Medical Board,and his intentions? Will it help patients protect their rights? Such behavior did not go unnoticed by the other doctors. Yet, instead of saving lives and using his knowledge for good, the opposite happened. The more it became untrue that Duntsch was a good surgeon and it was so obvious and evident from everything that was going on in his life, the more he had to believe over and above everybody else Backed into the corner of his whole life falling apart, he was even more certain of his brilliance at the end than he was at the beginning., However, Jacksons castmate felt differently. The Texas Medical Board launched an investigation and found that Duntsch was performing unnecessary and risky procedures on his patients without informing them of the potential risks and complications. Duntsch is a clear and present danger to the citizens of Texas.. Now keep in mind, Morgan herself was at the wrong end of some of these suits. The world at large may have never heard of Dr. Death but for Laura Beil. [18] He damaged patient Philip Mayfield's spinal cord, drilling into it and leaving him partially paralyzed from the neck down. Improper training? Alligators vs Turtles: Do Turtles Stand a Chance? His resume is about 12 pages long, so he looks really good on paper, exactly the kind of doctor that youd be looking for, Michelle Shughart, assistant district attorney in Dallas County told CNBC's American Greed earlier this year in an episode chronicling Duntschs briefand deadlycareer in Texas. [4], After 13 days of trial, the jury needed only four hours to convict him for the maiming of Efurd. [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. Since receiving his life sentence, Dr Death is currently housed in the O.B. [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. [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. I received word today that Jerry Summers has passed away. The Incredible Genetic Trait Childbearing Hips. Malicious intent? By this time his wife and he had separated and he also filed for bankruptcy. While psychopaths are classified as people with little or no conscience, sociopaths do have a limited, albeit weak, ability to feel empathy and remorse. A TV dramatization series of the same name is set to debut on Peacock in 2021. Between 2011 and 2013, Christopher Duntsch operated on 37 patients in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Duntsch was described asa precocious boy and a bright student. And so I think, backed into the corner of his whole life falling apart, he was even more certain of his brilliance at the end than he was at the beginning., I think it was a mixture of both intent and ineptitude, the actress told TheWrap. Duntschs case also caught the eye of Dallas County prosecutors, who charged the surgeon with injuring an elderly patient in connection with Efurds case. According to the prosecutors, TMB had many complaints on file. Those are the words that Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a Dallas neurosurgeon, wrote to his girlfriend in 2011 in the midst of a two-year period that left 33 of his 38 patients maimed, wounded or . And she saw how he was manipulative and sort of narcissistic. The financial incentives are a huge part of what was driving him and what was driving the people all around to continue to believe in him in and invest in him despite the fact that there were all these red flags, Shugart said of Duntsch'sability to continue to gain employment. You can also watch all eight episodes of Dr. Death without ads through its third tier Premium Plus plan, which costs $9.99/month. 'Dr. Death': Who Is Jerry Summers and What Happened to Him? - Newsweek
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