Family of Deceased Man Accuses Florida Surgeon of Wrong-Organ Removal.
The family of William “Bill” Bryan, 70, has accused Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky of a grave surgical error that led to Bryan’s death. According to The Guardian, Bryan’s family claims that Dr. Shaknovsky mistakenly removed Bryan’s liver instead of the intended spleen during a surgery at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital.
Bryan was admitted to the hospital on August 18 for a splenectomy after experiencing flank pain. Despite being informed of the surgery’s risks and benefits, Bryan’s procedure on August 21 ended in tragedy when Dr. Shaknovsky removed the wrong organ. The family’s legal team reported that the removal of Bryan’s liver led to severe blood loss and his subsequent death.
The law firm representing Bryan’s family has announced plans to pursue both civil and criminal actions against Dr. Shaknovsky. They allege that the surgeon labeled the removed liver as a “spleen,” and the error was only discovered after Bryan’s death. The lawyers also highlighted a troubling history of “wrong-site surgery” involving Dr. Shaknovsky, including a previous case in 2023 where he mistakenly removed part of a patient’s pancreas instead of performing an adrenal gland resection.
In a statement, Beverly Bryan, the deceased’s wife, expressed her anguish: “My husband died while helpless on the operating room table by Dr. Shaknovsky. I don’t want anyone else to suffer due to his incompetence.”
Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital has stated that it is taking the allegations seriously and conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.
