A Florida doctor was accused of removing the wrong organ from an Alabama man, leading to his death.
The family of the Alabama man, William “Bill” Bryan, 70, claims the surgeon, Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, labeled Bryan’s liver as spleen .
No charges have been filed against Shaknovsky yet, but attorneys from Zarzaur Law, the law firm investigating the death and the family’s legal representative, say they intend to file a lawsuit .
Similar errors are not unusual in the United States. A Johns Hopkins study said operations take place on the wrong body site 20 times a week.
Here’s what we know about what happened and Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky .
What happened during the surgery?
Bryan and his wife, Beverly, of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, were visiting their condo in Destin, Florida, when he began having pain on the left side of his body. He was admitted to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Miramar Beach over suspected medical problems with his spleen.
According to medical records provided by Zarzaur Law to USA Today, on Aug. 21, 2024, Shaknovsky proceeded with a hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy procedure. A splenectomy is the removal of the spleen.
During the operation, Shaknovsky removed Bryan’s liver and, in so doing, transected (cut) the major vasculature supplying the liver, causing immediate and catastrophic blood loss that resulted in Bill Bryan’s death.
Shaknovsky labeled the removed liver specimen as a “spleen” during the operation, according to the medical records.
After the procedure, Shaknovsky told Beverly Bryan, a nurse, the “spleen” was so diseased that it was four times bigger than usual and had “migrated” to the other side of Bill Bryan’s body.
The medical examiner determined Bill Bryan's liver was gone and his spleen was still in his body with a cyst attached to it, the attorney said.
Who is Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky?
Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky is a colon and rectal surgeon in Crestview, Florida, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Where does Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky practice?
Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky practices medicine in Florida. He’s associated with two hospitals: Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital, in Destin, Florida, and Twin Cities Hospital, located in Niceville, Florida.
What charges is Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky facing?
No charges have been filed against Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky
Under Florida law, a six- to nine-month pre-suit process must take place before filing a formal medical malpractice lawsuit with the court, Zarzaur said. Bryan's family and Zarzaur do intend to file a lawsuit, he said.
The medical board could take months to revoke Shaknovsky's medical license, according to Zarzaur.
A criminal investigation is also underway concerning Bill Bryan's death.
The Walton County Sheriff's Office emailed a statement to USA TODAY, saying:
"Walton County Sheriff's Office in conjunction with the District 1 Medical Examiner's Office and Office of the State Attorney is reviewing the facts involving the death of William Bryan to determine if anything criminal took place.
"At this time, it would be incorrect to say criminal charges have been filed."
Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky education
Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky received his medical degree from Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University, and he’s been in practice for more than a decade.
This isn't Shaknovsky's first time mistakenly operating on the wrong part of someone's body
As Zarzaur’s legal team began looking into Bill Bryan’s death, they discovered this was not the first time Shaknovsky had mistakenly operated on the wrong part of a person’s body.
In a previous wrong-site surgery in 2023, Zarzaur said Shaknovsky mistakenly removed a portion of a patient’s pancreas instead of performing the intended adrenal gland resection (cutting out tissue or part of an organ) at the same hospital.
That case was settled in confidence, and Shaknovsky remained a surgeon at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital as recently as August 2024.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky allegedly removed a liver instead of a spleen. Here's what we know
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