A 70-year-old man from Alabama died following a surgical error at a Florida hospital, where a surgeon reportedly removed the wrong organ. William Bryan was admitted to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast hospital in Walton County on August 21, 2024, due to concerns about his spleen after experiencing severe pain on his left side.
Bryan and his wife, Beverly, were hesitant about the procedure, according to their lawyer, but the hospital assured them it was necessary, The Miami Herald reports. Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky performed a hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy, but instead of removing Bryan’s spleen, the surgeon reportedly removed his liver. This mistake led to severe blood loss and Bryan’s death shortly after the operation.
Following the surgery, Dr. Shaknovsky allegedly told Beverly that Bryan’s spleen had been so diseased it had enlarged and moved to the other side of his body. However, the lawyer stated that the removed organ was identified as Bryan’s liver, not his spleen. The family claims that the liver was mistakenly labeled as a spleen until after Bryan’s death.
The family also alleges that Dr. Shaknovsky had a prior incident of surgical error in 2023, involving the removal of part of a patient’s pancreas instead of an adrenal gland. This previous case was settled confidentially.
Beverly Bryan has since engaged legal counsel, seeking both criminal and civil action against Dr. Shaknovsky. She expressed her anguish in a statement: “My husband died while helpless on the operating room table. I don’t want anyone else to die due to his incompetence.”
The Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast hospital has launched an investigation into the incident. In a statement, the hospital emphasized that patient safety is its top priority and declined to comment on the specifics of the case due to ongoing litigation.
As of Wednesday, there were no criminal charges or public complaints against Dr. Shaknovsky, according to The Herald. The surgeon did not respond to requests for comment.
William Bryan, a Navy veteran who served in Vietnam and worked as a boilermaker, was married to Beverly for 33 years. He is survived by his wife, three children, and eight grandchildren.
