Air date: Jul 15, 2021. By the time the law caught up with him, Duntsch had botched numerous operations, most of them resulting in long-term disability for his patients. Our practice delivers excellent surgical care with great compassion and respect and our surgeons utilize the most advanced techniques to produce the best results possible 8700 W Flagler St Suite 250, Miami, FL 33174. How does a doctor get away with something like this? One patient, a childhood friend of Duntschs, went in for a spinal operation with someone he trusted and woke up a quadriplegic after the doctor damaged his vertebral artery. Fennell and his wife are still able to travel occasionally and dress up for Christmas shows as the Clauses, but not without Ken's constant pain that he says Duntsch isn't the only one responsible for. View Dr. Christopher Maier's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. July 15. pic.twitter.com/qzLUEInwYr. And at first, Duntsch appeared to have what it took: He enrolled in an M.D./Ph.D program at the University of Tennessee at Memphis College of Medicine and put in dozens of hours in cancer and stem cell research. His residency in General Surgery occurred at Keesler USAF Medical Center in Biloxi, Mississippi. He is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, as well as a board-certified general surgeon. Of the 37 patients Duntsch operated on in Dallas over about two years, 33 were hurt or harmed in the process. You had people in walkers. clear Search. Double board certified plastic surgeon with over 15+ years of experience. "I blame the medical board for not stopping him before. As patients entering the operating room of Dr. Christopher Duntsch for routine spinal surgeries start leaving permanently maimed or end up dead, two fellow surgeons and a young Assistant District Attorney set out to stop him. The couple soon found themselves in Dr. Duntsch's office scheduling surgery for during the elementary school teacher's March 2012 spring break. The Peacock originalDr Deathis based on atrue story. In their case, prosecutors chose to focus on Mary Efurd, since the injuries to her were felonious and carried the harshest penalties, according to, For more harrowing tales of medical malpractice, tune in as, investigates the jaw-dropping cases of murderous doctors, nurses and medical professionals in. This multi-step process takes up to 24 hours from review submission to publication. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. 151 posts. He sewed up one mans throat with a bloody sponge inside. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. While the typical neurosurgeon is expected to perform approximately 1,000 operations over the course of their training, the Dallas district attorneys office determined that Duntsch operated less than 100 times before finishing his residency, according to ProPublica. But depositions from Duntschs peers who knew him around that time period, between 2006 and 2008, point to cracks in the facade. Christopher M. Dress, M.D. The indictment listed hands and surgical tools as his deadly weapons, according to court documents . 2005 - 2023 WebMD LLC. This story has been updated based on information received from Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. On paper, Duntsch was a star pick for any hospital system once he completed his residency, thanks to years of research and study of the use of stem cells and several strong recommendations from his prior supervisors. Even after receiving complaints, he continued practicing medicine and did not lose his medical license until one year after the Texas Medical Board received its first complaint against him, the newspaper reported. Instead, he lacerated one of the arteries running along the spine, causing massive bleeding and paralysis, according to the Texas Observer. Dr. Robert Henderson, who performed Efurds corrective surgery, told the Observer he initially thought Duntsch was posing as a doctor. He had his goal, his sight on a goal and whatever it took to get there, one unnamed classmate told ProPublica. Soon thereafter, Duntsch resigned his medical staff privileges to practice at Baylor. Dr. Death. 1962472142. Plano's 'Doctor Death': The Christopher Duntsch case True Crime Daily 5.01M subscribers Subscribe 10K 686K views 1 year ago How could Dr. Christopher Duntsch practice medicine for as long. However, those who worked alongside him considered him among the worst surgeons theyd ever seen. Despite being known in Texas as a doctor to avoid (at least among professional peers), and despite a report to the data bank and an investigation into his cases by the state medical board, Duntsch continued to be hired. Christopher Duntsch - AKA Dr. Death - spent 18 months as a practicing surgeon at multiple Texas hospitals until he had his license revoked in 2013. Im the best, hed say, according to local periodical, In 2006, Duntsch began working with two Russian scientists, who had had made significant breakthroughs in stem cell technology, and formed two companies with them. (He was later let go from the company over money issues). The patient Duntsch operated on continues to walk with a cane and lives with chronic pain. Thanks in part to sites like yours, people never realize the harm that lawyers do to OUR lives. Back in Dallas to see his children, he was arrested again in April 2015, after trying to steal almost $900 worth of clothing from Wal-Mart, according to the Texas Observer. 4,579 followers. Dr. Christopher Michael Dress, MD is a health care provider primarily located in Miami, FL, with other offices in Fort Walton Beach, FL and Dothan, AL. U.S. Marines with 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, and U.S. soldiers wi, 10th Support Group, work together to quickly embark transportation vehicles May 14, 2018 . "As his victims pile up, two fellow physicians and Dallas prosecutor Michelle Shughart set out to stop him.". Medical School. The upcoming project will be based on Wondery's viral podcast of the same name, which was inspired by the terrifying true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch . Provider Name. Dr. Dresss personal mission is to restore a sense of wholeness to each individual patients life through a warm and caring attitude, professionalism and privacy, availability, and surgical expertise. [3] However, this did not prevent him from performing more surgeries. Also in 2011, court testimony would later reveal, Duntsch wrote to his assistant and ex-girlfriend in an email: Unfortunately, you cannot understand that I am building an empire and I am so far outside the box that the Earth is small and the sun is bright. "After building a flourishing neurosurgery practice, everything suddenly changes when patients entering Dr. Duntsch's operating room for complex but routine spinal surgeries start leaving permanently disabled or dead. Dresser" and "J.D.& S. 2274" M.4-2006 Purchased with generous support of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund, the American Friends of the V&A and an anonymous donor, the Friends of the V&A, the J. Paul Getty Jr . Two patients died, one from significant blood loss after the operation and the other from a stroke caused by a cut vertebral artery. His specialties include Surgery, Plastic Surgery. They. When the healthcare system failed to hold Dr.Death accountable, the criminal justice system stepped in. At least two died following surgery, earning Duntsch the nickname Dr. We trust the hospital. The charging documents detail the way that patients suffered. He refused and was subsequently sent to a program for impaired physicians, according to ProPublica. Two patients died from his actions and many more suffered permanent injuries, including his best friend, who left Duntsch's operating room paralyzed. The consequences for frivolous lawsuits is more apparent than real. A new four-part docuseries from Peacock premiering July 29, called Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story, peers inside the torturous crimes of Duntsch, featuring chilling stories from victims and coworkers who saw the killer surgeon in action and were forever harmed as a result. Avana Plastic Surgery 2023. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. the man dubbed, "Doctor Death" now serving a life sentence for multiple counts of aggravated assault. The last hospital to employ Duntsch was the now-shuttered University General, where he botched another surgery after he mistook a patients neck muscle for a tumor. In July, he performed an operation on a woman who lost a tremendous amount of blood and lost consciousness upon waking up after surgery. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Receive small business resources and advice about entrepreneurial info, home based business, business franchises and startup opportunities for entrepreneurs. After a 13-day trial, it took the jury four hours to find Christopher Duntsch guilty of injury to an elderly person. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. At least 80 people are now thought to have died at the hands of Queensland's "Dr Death" following evidence provided by the State Government. As his trial got under way in February 2017, prosecutors presented a rambling email Duntsch sent to former assistant Kimberly Morgan. Another was rendered a quadriplegic and died a decade later from a related infection. Dr. Christopher Dress. Coverage of Duntschs case, the podcast series and the now-streaming Peacock series all make sure to underscore that his story is part of a major systemic failurea common theme in true crime stories. On February 20, 2017, he was convicted of injury to an elderly person and sentenced to life in prison, according to his inmate records. This man is pure evil. Dr. Dr. Lawyers & their clients treat the legal system as if it were a lottery. 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. The Texas Observer reported that Duntsch wrote a 30,000-word rebuttal in the comments section of an article published in May 2015, before he was indicted on his charges. The once notable neurosurgeon is now 50 years old. Christopher Duntsch) is now and today in 2021. Dr. Pathetic, is how Kirby would later describe Duntschs abilities as a surgeon, in a letter to the Texas Medical Board, likening them to those of a first-year medical student, according to the, Photo: In the meantime, prosecutors were working with Kirby and Henderson to find a way to indict Duntscha challenge, considering Texas had never previously handled such a case. The CEO of DiscGenics, the more successful of the two companies, later forced him out and sued him over money owed, according to the website ProPublica. Two died in the hospital, including a 55-year-old schoolteacher undergoing what was supposed to be a straightforward day surgery. He developed over 50 herbal formulas used worldwide, and founded The School of Natural Healing in Springville, Utah. Im the only clean, minimally invasive guy in the whole state. Hoyle assisted Duntsch in late December 2011 in operating on Lee Passmore, who was suffering from severe lower back pain. They specialize in General Surgery, has 24 years of experience, and is board certified in General Surgery. Multiple layers of safeguards are supposed to protect patients from. He had 15 years of medical training under his belt, his CV reportedly spanned 12 single-spaced pages and he exuded confidence all of which landed him a job performing minimally invasive spinal surgeries. Back in Dallas to see his children, he was arrested again in April 2015, after trying to steal almost $900 worth of clothing from Wal-Mart, according to the, In July 2015, Duntsch was indicted by a Dallas County grand jury on six counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. We trust the system. After this, life for Duntsch fell apart. A week later, after several days of testimony from his victims, Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison, according to Dallas CBS affiliate KTVT. Death' Gets Life in Prison for Botched Surgery, How Other Doctors Tried and Failed to Stop Texas' 'Dr. At another point he describes himself as a mother****ing stone cold killer that can buy or own or steal or ruin or build whatever he wants.. Reviews are only removed at the reviewer's request or if they violate our. In early 2014, he was arrested for DUI and sent to rehab, according to ProPublica. A veteran of 23 years in the U.S. Air Force, he served in active duty status for 17 years and retired through the Air Force Reserves. Dress is a dual boarded surgeon which is very rare, and his extensive expertise is highly sought after. Unfortunately, it's all too real. While Baylor-Plano conducted an investigation of Duntsch and his cases, and found that he would need to be let go, Duntsch was not technically fired from the hospital. First published on July 21, 2021 / 10:00 PM. Just a few days later, a jury sentenced him to life in prison. Duntsch is now the subject of an upcoming documentary and a new TV miniseries. (An exclusive trailer is shown below.). Dress and his staff. The spinal surgeon-turned-killer was charged in a series of medical malpractice crimes that left many of. ProPublica reports that Duntsch resigned voluntarily in April 2012. In November 2011, he was granted surgical privileges at nearby Baylor Regional Medical Center of Plano, Texas. The 78-year-old Denton County man was then Dr. Christopher Duntsch's first patient when the surgeon started performing spinal fusions in 2011. They dont want to go participate in any extraneous activities, and he was totally fine going to work.. The Texas doctor was responsible for injuring 33 out of 38 patients within a span of. After retiring from the Air Force, Dr. All Rights Reserved. WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The CEO of DiscGenics, the more successful of the two companies, later forced him out and sued him over money owed, according to the website, At Baylor, Duntsch quickly earned a reputation as a braggart. '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 series made me. Lawyers are in charge of the legal system, so no real reform is possible. "He's not the only one in the world I'm sure that's doing this.". A veteran of 23 years in the U.S. Air Force, he served in active duty status for 17 years and retired through the Air Force Reserves. . Horrendous and pathetic were how fellow doctors described his surgical skills, despite his impeccable credentials and position in some of the areas most prestigious hospitals. 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. I am 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. Duntsch was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Duntsch, better known today as "Dr. Death," moved to Dallas in 2010 with impressive qualifications. The next time Duntsch put on his surgical scrubs it would lead to death. Later, following another accusation that he was abusing drugs before doing surgeries, Duntsch was relegated to mostly minor surgical procedures at the hospital. Dr. Death stars Joshua Jackson as Christopher Duntsch, with supporting performances from Alec Baldwin, Christian Slater, AnnaSophia Robb and Grace Gummer. The son of a physical therapist and teacher, he was known even before pursuing his medical aspirations as a person who didnt give upeven when letting go would have been the right choice. Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story starts streaming on Peacock Thursday, July 29. To find Christopher Duntsch guilty of injury to an elderly person activities, and he was later let go the. The legal system, so no real reform is possible of 38 patients within a span of over money )... 78-Year-Old Denton County man was then Dr. Christopher Maier & # x27 ; s profile LinkedIn! `` he 's not the only clean, minimally invasive guy in the hospital, including a 55-year-old undergoing... 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