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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTexas AG sides with hospital that allowed ‘sociopathic’ surgeon to maim, kill patients
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is going out of his way to defend four civil lawsuits against a hospital accused of allowing a sociopathic neurosurgeon to treat patients.
None of the suits name the state, but the Dallas Morning News reported that Abbott has asked a federal court for permission to represent Baylor Regional Medical Center of Plano in the suits related to Dr. Christopher Duntsch.
The physician practiced medicine and performed minimally invasive spinal procedures in the north Texas area for two years before losing his license in 2013 after the deaths of two patients and the paralysis of four others.
The suits claim Baylor put revenue ahead of patient safety by overlooking the Duntschs substantial substance abuse issues and doing nothing to stop him from treating patients.
The physician told the newspaper Baylor made about $65,000 profit on each procedure he performed.
Former colleagues called Duntsch a sociopath and a clear and present danger to patients, and one doctor compared him to a serial killer.
Another surgeon was so alarmed by Duntschs actions that he took away his surgical tools in the middle of an operation.
The surgeons roommate and closest friend says Duntsch operated on him after a night of using cocaine, and he emerged from the surgery a quadriplegic.
Duntsch has since moved to Colorado and filed for bankruptcy, rendering him essentially judgment-proof, reported RH Reality Check.
More here: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/10/texas-ag-sides-with-hospital-that-allowed-sociopathic-surgeon-to-maim-kill-patients/
Gothmog
(145,687 posts)Greg used to be a toxic tort defense litigator who did his best to cheat widows and orphans out of money due to them due to asbestos claims. This does not surprise me
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)Can't there be some criminal charges brought up?
I mean this dude is just a step or two away from Mengele-level horrors...
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/plano/headlines/20140325-abbott-sides-with-baylor-hospital-in-neurosurgeon-lawsuit.ece
http://www.texasobserver.org/anatomy-tragedy/
Physicians who complained about Duntsch to the Texas Medical Board and to the hospitals he worked at described his practice in superlative terms. They used phrases like the worst surgeon Ive ever seen. One doctor I spoke with, brought in to repair one of Duntschs spinal fusion cases, remarked that it seemed Duntsch had learned everything perfectly just so he could do the opposite. Another doctor compared Duntsch to Hannibal Lecter three times in eight minutes.