Neurosurgeon sentenced to life in prison for botched surgeries

Christopher Duntsch, MD, a former neurosurgeon convicted of a first degree felony for harming an elderly patient he operated on, will spend the rest of his life in prison. A jury returned the verdict Monday following two weeks of testimony for the sentencing phase of Duntsch’s trial that outlined how he maimed numerous patients in the operating room.

According to prosecutors, Duntsch harmed more than 30 patients at four hospitals over a period of just over 18 months, resulting in two deaths. He began practicing at Baylor Regional Medical Center in Plano, Texas, and then secured privileges at Dallas Medical Center even though he had a patient bleed to death during a surgery. At Dallas Medical Center, another one of Duntsch’s patients died of a stroke following an operation. He then practiced at Legacy Surgical Center in Plano and University General Hospital in Dallas.

Source: D Magazine

Did you know?

Learn more about red flags, credentialing, and other top industry topics in the Credentialing Encyclopedia, an on-the-go reference packed with easy-to-digest credentialing and privileging terms exclusively for Platinum and Platinum Plus members of the Credentialing Resource Center. Click here to access the encyclopedia. Not a Platinum or Platinum Plus member? Learn about upgrading your membership by clicking here.