Alabama Man Dies After Surgeon Allegedly Removes Liver Instead of Spleen by Accident: Family

An Alabama man died after a surgeon allegedly removed the wrong organ by accident, according to his family.

"I know I am not the only wife to have lost her husband suddenly, but the loss of my Bill was exceptionally unnecessary and brutal," Beverly Bryan, the man's wife, tells Inside Edition.

William Bryan was wheeled into surgery to have his spleen removed.

The surgeon allegedly removed his liver by accident. Within minutes, the 70-year-old bled to death.

Following the operation, the surgeon apparently did not realize his mistake. The grieving family says the doctor told them he had never seen a spleen that size but it turned out he was allegedly talking about the liver.

"Anybody that takes an anatomy course in high school should know the difference between a liver and a spleen," Joe Zarzaur, the Bryan family's attorney, tells Inside Edition.

"Everyone knows you can't live without your liver. It's about the same thing as if they had pulled out his heart," Beverly says.

In a statement, Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Walton, Florida, says, "We take allegations like this very seriously, and our leadership team is performing a thorough investigation into this event. Patient safety is and remains our number one priority. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family."

A study by Johns Hopkins found medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease and cancer.

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