Texas neurosurgeon kills and paralyzes several patients over the course of 18 months.

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http://www.texasobserver.org/anatomy-tragedy/

Quote from article

“I couldn’t believe a trained surgeon could do this,” Henderson told me. “He just had no recognition of the proper anatomy. He had no idea what he was doing. At every step of the way, you would have to know the right thing to do so you could do the wrong thing, because he did all the wrong things.”

Thoughts?
 
It is a sad commentary that it took years to stop him from practicing medicine and that the hospital didn't suspend his privileges. But a reason for his aggregious surgical misadventures is given:
It’s not clear how such a well-trained surgeon could have performed so disastrously, but the June 26 Medical Board report offers a hint: “Respondent is unable to practice medicine with reasonable skill and safety due to impairment from drugs or alcohol.”
Click to expand...
 
SouthernSurgeon said:
Apparently a major coke problem. He was suspended and put in a diversion program during residency but ultimately allowed to finish.

He apparently would go on multi-day benders (which is when he would operate, actually) and then crash and be completely out of contact.

Also his first case he did at this hospital, he apparently hopped on a plane to vegas that night and left the patient in the hospital with no one to care for them.

This was all discussed at length back when this happened (the article posted by the OP is from 2013).
Click to expand...
“His performance,” Kirby wrote, “was pathetic . . . He was functioning at a first- or second-year neurosurgical resident level but had no apparent insight into how bad his technique was.”

Why did they let him graduate if his operative skill was so poor?
 
SouthernSurgeon said:
really hard to know.

Maybe when he was finishing residency he was sober and that explains the issue?

Maybe his residency just thought it easier to push him through or didn't think they had evidence to fire him?
Click to expand...

According to another article, he had been in treatment for substance abuse during residency, but they still let him graduate. He also skipped out on drug tests ordered by his first employer, kept alcohol and drugs in his office, and one time he hopped on a flight to Vegas right after finishing a surgery instead of caring for his patient. Apparently Baylor advanced him $600K to finance his move from TN to TX which they wanted back. Obviously, a neurosurgeon is a big moneymaker and they didn't want to lose the money they'd already spent on employing him. There were other financial factors in play as well.

It's a terrible situation overall and some earlier, better oversight would have prevented two deaths and many patients' suffering.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/02/texas-legal-doctor-lawsuit-christopher-duntsch
 
This is disturbing on so many levels. Also..."On the online doctor-rating site Healthgrades.com, he had 4.5 stars out of five. He had a slick marketing team in Best Docs Network, a physician PR company that pumps out infomercials to local TV stations. In one, Duntsch tells the story, over stock footage of an operation, of a taxing back surgery he performed on an older woman. The surgery, he said, beaming into the camera, was a resounding success. “And the only thing she complained about was she couldn’t find what she wanted to watch on TV.” " 🤢
 
From the article: "And still it took the Texas Medical Board more than a year to stop Duntsch—a year in which he kept bringing into the operating room patients who ended up seriously injured or dead."

I don't know how procedures are scheduled for an OR (or any inherent rights encompassed by licensure), but would the facility have been able to suspend the scheduling of his procedures? Or were the post-op complications not able to be identified within enough time to suspend the surgeries?
 
Apollo1 said:
From the article: "And still it took the Texas Medical Board more than a year to stop Duntsch—a year in which he kept bringing into the operating room patients who ended up seriously injured or dead."

I don't know how procedures are scheduled for an OR (or any inherent rights encompassed by licensure), but would the facility have been able to suspend the scheduling of his procedures? Or were the post-op complications not able to be identified within enough time to suspend the surgeries?
Click to expand...

It's just a stunning failure of oversight on all levels.

For his residency to let him graduate.

For the hospital(s) not to immediately suspend/terminate his privileges

For subsequent hospitals to grant him privileges.

For the earlier hospitals not to report the full scope of concerns to the subsequent ones.

For the board not to act sooner.
 
oh. my. goodness.

this is emotionally difficult to read at times. woah. I feel like this was more than a substance abuse problem, this comes across like some kind of physician version of Jeffrey Dahmer or Charles Manson to me. what a nightmare.
 
I wonder if maybe they let him practice this long because he was well connected? Perhaps he knew a lot of people and wasn't axed because of his network. If that's the case, it just goes to show the dangers of nepotism.
 
Can anyone who knows anything about neurosurgery chime in about how difficult these tasks actually are? Is this sort of thing really, really hard and he was no longer at the top of his game, or is it not really all that difficult and he must have been severely impaired?

All of my clinical experience is in primary care. I know nothing about surgery.
 
demystifie said:
I wonder if maybe they let him practice this long because he was well connected? Perhaps he knew a lot of people and wasn't axed because of his network. If that's the case, it just goes to show the dangers of nepotism.
Click to expand...

No evidence of nepotism, but follow the money.
As mentioned in some of the comments, the hospital had loaned him boat-loads of cash to set him up in practice. They wanted to be paid back and hoped he'd earn enough to do so.
 
Doug Underhill said:
Can anyone who knows anything about neurosurgery chime in about how difficult these tasks actually are? Is this sort of thing really, really hard and he was no longer at the top of his game, or is it not really all that difficult and he must have been severely impaired?

All of my clinical experience is in primary care. I know nothing about surgery.
Click to expand...

The article mentions that these were routine or even easy procedures. One has to assume that he must have been impaired. The only other explanation was that he was doing this on purpose which seems highly unlikely.
 
He paralyzed his childhood friend and killed at least two other people by slicing major arteries. Woah.
 
what a f***. he's really active on twitter still and doesn't display any apparent remorse for his malpractice... https://twitter.com/duntsch

also from reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearn...that_a_reckless_neurosurgeon_in_texas_killed/

throwawayneurosurgeo:

This article is missing the key piece to this Doctor's story. I am a resident at UTHSC in Memphis and am familiar with this story.

He has a significant issue with cocaine addiction.

There was suspicion in his final year of residency that he was under the influence of cocaine while performing surgeries. A nurse in an operating room recognized him from a party the previous night. He was suspended from the program, and only allowed back in after completing rehab and submitting to frequent drug tests.

It sounds like his cocaine problem resurfaced in Texas.
 
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Some people aren't meant to be doctors and you can't always screen these people out.
 
Lysinee said:
Some people aren't meant to be doctors and you can't always screen these people out.
Click to expand...

But it seems like there were many opportunities to screen this doc out. People gave him a second chance, but he screwed it up.

What boggles my mind is how the hospital did not continue the frequent drug screens. I assume that would have prevented this. 🙁
 
cocainesahellofadrug.jpg
 
Isn't Baylor the med school currently on probation? Do they ever fire idiots there? Seems like they need to clean house top to bottom.
 
NotMichael said:
But it seems like there were many opportunities to screen this doc out. People gave him a second chance, but he screwed it up.

What boggles my mind is how the hospital did not continue the frequent drug screens. I assume that would have prevented this. 🙁
Click to expand...

It IS mind-boggling.

Did no one at the medical centers where he operated have the authority to kick him out? I mean, I know healthcare administrators in general aren't the most vociferous, free-thinking types (perhaps due to all of the bureaucracy, hierarchical management style, and regulations you have to put up with to work in the field), but it's kind of appalling that the incident reports from his colleagues had no impact on the hospital's employment contract with him.

Perhaps he was very charismatic and socially well connected, like someone else mentioned.
 
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FutureSunnyDoc said:
It IS mind-boggling.

Did no one who worked with him have the moral courage to rat him out? I mean, I know healthcare workers in general aren't the most vociferous, free-thinking types (perhaps due to all of the bureaucracy, hierarchical management style, and regulations you have to put up with to work in the field), but it's kind of appalling that his colleagues wouldn't kick up a bigger fuss. People clearly noticed he had issues.

Perhaps he was very charismatic and socially well connected, like someone else mentioned. He's good looking. Emotional intelligence and appearance can unduly influence people.
Click to expand...
The article @JPA178 posted was beyond disturbing...

I was also horrified by the fact that other doctors were aware of his incompetence in the OR and yet he still continued to operate. I wonder if there's some type of protocol for doctors to report their colleagues if such a scenario arises.
 
Did he go to UTHSC for medical school? If so, that's a big blow to their neurosurgery program.
 
Clearly a narcissist. Unfortunately many like him are attracted to medicine as it offers them a sense of superiority.Very hard to screen out, they are masters of deception and their superficial charm combined with strong confidence help them perform extremely well at interviews.
 
Cyberdyne 101 said:
I was also horrified by the fact that other doctors were aware of his incompetence in the OR and yet he still continued to operate. I wonder if there's some type of protocol for doctors to report their colleagues if such a scenario arises.
Click to expand...

Agreed! Completely, utterly, horrifying. This article should be required reading for med students. It looks like numerous physicians and nurses reported his misdeeds. To know that when you become a physician, you can file a complaint about a colleague and have it fall on deaf ears... it's disheartening.

Later in June 2013 Kirby sent a sworn statement to the Medical Board in which he laid out all of Duntsch’s patients he knew about and included reports from many of the surgeons who had worked on them. Near the end of his report, Kirby wrote, “The [Medical Board] must stop this sociopath Duntsch immediately or he will continue [to] maim and kill innocent patients.” Perhaps it was the completeness and forcefulness of his presentation, perhaps it was the fact that another neurosurgeon had just joined the board, and he understood as none of the rest did the severity of what Duntsch had done. Whatever the reason, this time the board acted. On June 26, the board held an emergency meeting and suspended Duntsch’s license.

More than a year had passed since Kellie Martin’s death and the complaint that started it all. In the time between the first complaint to the board, and when Duntsch was finally stopped on June 26, five of his patients were seriously injured and one died.

Thank goodness for people like Dr. Kirby. If he hadn't taken the time to write that damning sworn statement to the Texas Medical Board, and hadn't been so forceful about it, Dr. Duntsch might still be practicing today. It's sickening to think about.
 
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Dr Van Helsing said:
@mimelim @neusu
Thoughts?
Click to expand...

This sums up my thoughts:

SouthernSurgeon said:
It's just a stunning failure of oversight on all levels.

For his residency to let him graduate.

For the hospital(s) not to immediately suspend/terminate his privileges

For subsequent hospitals to grant him privileges.

For the earlier hospitals not to report the full scope of concerns to the subsequent ones.

For the board not to act sooner.
Click to expand...

Although, to be honest, based on my reading of the article and the quotes, I blame the residency more than anything. Even drunk/high people who have been fully trained can do the job. Maybe not all the time, and certainly drugs/alcohol will impair their ability to do the work, but this guy just sounds like a hack from the ground up. But, that is guesswork based on reading a couple articles. My only take away is just how sad I am after reading it.
 
mimelim said:
This sums up my thoughts:



Although, to be honest, based on my reading of the article and the quotes, I blame the residency more than anything. Even drunk/high people who have been fully trained can do the job. Maybe not all the time, and certainly drugs/alcohol will impair their ability to do the work, but this guy just sounds like a hack from the ground up. But, that is guesswork based on reading a couple articles. My only take away is just how sad I am after reading it.
Click to expand...
That was my hypothesis. He was grossly incompetent irrespective of his drug abuse. It almost doesn't make sense with the provided information; we're not seeing something. I mean if he was able to get that far, (assuming no strings were pulled) what went wrong.. I guess he's an anomaly, like the article said.
 
Dr Van Helsing said:
That was my hypothesis. He was grossly incompetent irrespective of his drug abuse. It almost doesn't make sense with the provided information; we're not seeing something. I mean if he was able to get that far, (assuming no strings were pulled) what went wrong.. I guess he's an anomaly, like the article said.
Click to expand...

Looks like he talked his way out of everything. How many people have the stones to call someone out on their delusional lies, face-to-face? With someone as well-credentialed and confident-sounding as this guy, it seems like that would be very difficult.

Plano’s Baylor hospital faces hard questions after claims against former neurosurgeon

"With his Texas medical license revoked, he spends much of his time as a bioscience consultant and researcher. “I’m a brilliant scientist,” he said."


"...he depicted himself as the victim of a Texas cabal of rival physicians and personal injury lawyers. 'I’m a well-trained surgeon. I’m a complex spine surgeon. My record is excellent,' he said. 'Ninety-nine percent of everything that has been said about me is completely false.' "


"Duntsch scoffed at the surgeon’s story. All the confusion, he said, was caused by the other doctor’s haste. “He told me that he was in a hurry, that he was actually in the middle of another procedure,” Duntsch said. “The whole procedure was ridiculous. … We were pushing against each other.”"


"A week later, Duntsch did a second surgery on Passmore, and he said it worked out well. 'The patient did just fine,' Duntsch said. 'He did wonderful.' "


"Before the surgery began, Kirby said, he had an unusual conversation with Duntsch. “[Duntsch] felt most of the spine surgery being done in Dallas was malpractice, and he was going to have to clean things up,” Kirby wrote. “I’m not kidding — that’s what he said.”


"Kirby added that the patient needed a second surgery to correct the problems caused by Duntsch, who — Kirby later reported to the medical board — “had no apparent insight into how bad his technique was. Duntsch again disputed the assessment. "Ten surgeons in a room will never agree on the same diagnosis, the same surgery, or the same rationale," he said.


"'Peer review,' he said, 'vindicated me 100 percent.' Records of such proceedings are not public."

“ ‘The surgery went perfect,’ Duntsch said. Immediately afterward, ‘she looked good, she sounded good, she felt good.’ But her blood pressure began dropping and she had trouble breathing. Within three hours, the mother of two was pronounced dead."
 
1. Do not believe every detail the news reports.

2. Even a hypothetical story is relevant to policy making and disaster prevention.

IMO, #2 is the most important aspect of this story.
 
FutureSunnyDoc said:
Looks like he talked his way out of everything. How many people have the stones to call someone out on their delusional lies, face-to-face? With someone as well-credentialed and confident-sounding as this guy, it seems like that would be very difficult.

Plano’s Baylor hospital faces hard questions after claims against former neurosurgeon

"With his Texas medical license revoked, he spends much of his time as a bioscience consultant and researcher. “I’m a brilliant scientist,” he said."


"...he depicted himself as the victim of a Texas cabal of rival physicians and personal injury lawyers. 'I’m a well-trained surgeon. I’m a complex spine surgeon. My record is excellent,' he said. 'Ninety-nine percent of everything that has been said about me is completely false.' "


"Duntsch scoffed at the surgeon’s story. All the confusion, he said, was caused by the other doctor’s haste. “He told me that he was in a hurry, that he was actually in the middle of another procedure,” Duntsch said. “The whole procedure was ridiculous. … We were pushing against each other.”"


"A week later, Duntsch did a second surgery on Passmore, and he said it worked out well. 'The patient did just fine,' Duntsch said. 'He did wonderful.' "


"Before the surgery began, Kirby said, he had an unusual conversation with Duntsch. “[Duntsch] felt most of the spine surgery being done in Dallas was malpractice, and he was going to have to clean things up,” Kirby wrote. “I’m not kidding — that’s what he said.”


"Kirby added that the patient needed a second surgery to correct the problems caused by Duntsch, who — Kirby later reported to the medical board — “had no apparent insight into how bad his technique was. Duntsch again disputed the assessment. "Ten surgeons in a room will never agree on the same diagnosis, the same surgery, or the same rationale," he said.


"'Peer review,' he said, 'vindicated me 100 percent.' Records of such proceedings are not public."

“ ‘The surgery went perfect,’ Duntsch said. Immediately afterward, ‘she looked good, she sounded good, she felt good.’ But her blood pressure began dropping and she had trouble breathing. Within three hours, the mother of two was pronounced dead."
Click to expand...
They could spin this whole story into a really crazy movie.. I could see it. This story has all the elements to make a great horror film. It would have cocaine, strippers (Las Vegas), and Dunce, I mean Duntsch, would play the sociopathic surgeon.
 
These kinds of people have no place in medicine, and I think we need to make sure our culture is such that there is not incentive to protect or pass along these kinds of quacks. This is ironically similar to the classic application question "what would you do if you caught a fellow classmate cheating?". The stakes in medicine are high, much higher than a test.
 
Narmerguy said:
These kinds of people have no place in medicine, and I think we need to make sure our culture is such that there is not incentive to protect or pass along these kinds of quacks. This is ironically similar to the classic application question "what would you do if you caught a fellow classmate cheating?". The stakes in medicine are high, much higher than a test.
Click to expand...

Reading between the lines and purely speculating, I imagine this guy was engaging in some kind of serious drug abuse. He graduated from a decent residency program with seemingly no complaints from the program and was able to land a job. It doesn't make sense that he "all of a sudden" decides to go downhill and do the things he did. Unfortunately physicians aren't resistant to the myriad of causes - both medical and behavioral - that might cause someone to have serious work impairments.

Your point still stands, though.
 
NickNaylor said:
Reading between the lines and purely speculating, I imagine this guy was engaging in some kind of serious drug abuse. He graduated from a decent residency program with seemingly no complaints from the program and was able to land a job. It doesn't make sense that he "all of a sudden" decides to go downhill and do the things he did. Unfortunately physicians aren't resistant to the myriad of causes - both medical and behavioral - that might cause someone to have serious work impairments.

Your point still stands, though.
Click to expand...

Yeah that is also a very curious part--was he shoddy in residency? I suppose we'd have to speculate, but it seems like mimelim suggests that the level of detriment seems to exceed that attributable to being seriously high, but again speculation. It's tragic that people had to die for this, but it's outrageous that it was able to go on for so long.
 
Dr Van Helsing said:
They could spin this whole story into a really crazy movie.. I could see it. This story has all the elements to make a great horror film. It would have cocaine, strippers (Las Vegas), and Dunce, I mean Duntsch, would play the sociopathic surgeon.
Click to expand...

So funny and so inappropriate! Sounds like a Lifetime movie.
 
Anyone else curious what his gpa/mcat was? 😀

But in all seriousness does anyone know roughly what percentage of the patients got screwed up?
 
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