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A physician in Florida faces serious allegations after reportedly extracting the incorrect organ during a surgical procedure, which is suspected to have resulted in the demise of a 70-year-old man who was hesitant about undergoing the operation.
On April 13, the First Judicial Circuit’s State Attorney’s Office revealed that Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky has been charged by a grand jury with second-degree manslaughter related to the fatal surgery conducted in August 2024.
“Our commitment is to pursue the truth, no matter where it leads, without bias,” stated Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson in a press release from the prosecutors. “The Grand Jury has rendered its decision, and it is our duty to ensure that the charges progress through the judicial system appropriately.”
What Are the Allegations Against Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky?
According to the prosecution, Dr. Shaknovsky was engaged in what was supposed to be a laparoscopic splenectomy on a patient hailing from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, when he inadvertently extracted the liver instead of the spleen.
This surgical error allegedly caused the patient, identified by NBC News as Bill Bryan, to experience “severe blood loss,” leading to his death during the operation.
Bryan had sought medical attention at Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Emerald Coast due to stomach pain, as per an Alabama court order obtained by NBC News, which also led to the suspension of Dr. Shaknovsky’s medical license.
Test results showed that Bryan was suffering from “a suspected enlarged spleen” and had “blood in the peritoneum with no active hemorrhage,” authorities wrote in the order.
He wanted to return to his home state of Alabama for the surgery, but, according to the court order, Shaknovsky “continued to pressure” him to do it in Florida and, after three days of discussions, he relented.
Authorities Describe “Shock” and “Chaos” in Bill Bryan’s Fatal Surgery
During the surgery, Bryan went into cardiac arrest, but Shaknovsky allegedly continued to operate, per the court records.
“Dr. Shaknovsky removed an organ he believed to be the spleen,” the filing noted, “but due to his shock and the chaos, he was unable to properly identify the organ.”
After removing the organ, Shaknovsky continued to insist it was the correct organ, according to an emergency suspension order obtained by The New York Post.
“The staff looked at the readily identifiable liver on the table and were shocked when Dr. Shaknovsky told them it was the spleen,” one witness alleged in the order, while another reported being “sick to their stomach.”
Shaknovsky allegedly ordered the staff to label the organ as the spleen, per the emergency suspension order, and deliver it to the lab. Meanwhile, Bryan died on the table.
“When I tell people what happened, it still sounds too awful to be true that that could happen,” his wife Beverly Bryan told NBC News. “I still have trouble believing it happened myself. Can you imagine?”
A spokesperson for Ascension Sacred Heart told in a statement that patient safety is their “top priority.”
“Surgeons practicing at our facilities, employed and affiliated, must meet rigorous credentialing standards, which includes holding a valid state license,” the statement read. “The majority of surgeons and physicians are specialty board certified with the remainder on a pathway to board certification.”
The spokesperson also noted that Shaknovsky was never a Sacred Heart Emerald Coast employee and has not practiced at any of their facilities since August of 2024, adding, “We remain focused on upholding the standards our patients and community expect of us.”
Thomas Shaknovsky Arrested in Miramar Beach, Florida
The family is now pursuing a wrongful death, medical malpractice and personal injury lawsuit in the case, according to The Pensacola News Journal. Oxygen reached out to the Zarzaur Law P.A. firm, who is representing the family, but did not receive an immediate response.
In September 2024, the Florida Surgeon General ordered an emergency suspension of Shaknovsky. His license was also revoked by the Alabama Medical Licensure Commission that same year.
Shaknovsky was taken into custody April 13 in Miramar Beach to face the criminal charges against him.
It’s unclear whether he has retained an attorney.
His wife told NBC News her husband would have supported the arrest.
“He would want his death to prevent someone else from being hurt, which is what I think the criminal charges being brought will do,” she said. “If we had to suffer through this and he had to die, then at least no one else will be hurt by this man now.”
