Florida Surgeon Indicted for Manslaughter After Fatal Surgical Error
A surgeon in Florida has been indicted on manslaughter charges following a catastrophic surgical error during an August 2024 procedure, where he removed a patient's liver instead of the spleen, resulting in the patient's death on the operating table.
Details of the Fatal Operation
Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, from DeFuniak Springs, was indicted by a grand jury in Tallahassee on Monday. Prosecutors stated that Shaknovsky botched the surgery of 70-year-old William Bryan, a resident of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The procedure, scheduled as a laparoscopic splenectomy at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach, went horribly wrong when Shaknovsky mistakenly excised Bryan's liver.
According to the Walton County Sheriff's Office, the error led to "catastrophic blood loss and the patient's death on the operating table." Sheriff Michael Adkinson emphasized in a press release that the incident ended in devastating consequences, with the grand jury finding probable cause for criminal conduct under Florida law.
Investigation and Legal Proceedings
Shaknovsky was taken into custody in Miramar Beach on Monday morning and held at the Walton County Jail ahead of his first court appearance. Court filings and an emergency license suspension order from the Florida Department of Health, issued less than a month after Bryan's death, revealed that Shaknovsky allegedly insisted on continuing the operation even after realizing his mistake.
Prosecutors detailed that "Dr. Shaknovsky removed an organ he believed to be the spleen, but due to his shock and the chaos, he was unable to properly identify the organ." The license suspension order, signed by Florida's Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, noted that Shaknovsky claimed he could not control an aneurysm, which caused Bryan's chest cavity to fill with blood, and instead decided to complete the splenectomy as a last-ditch effort after the patient had been in cardiac arrest for 15 minutes.
Impact on the Victim and Family
William Bryan, a Navy veteran married for 33 years, was visiting his rental property in Okaloosa County with his wife, Beverly, when he began experiencing left-sided flank pain. According to Zarzaur Law, the medical malpractice attorneys representing the family, Bryan was admitted for further studies due to concerns about an abnormality of the spleen. He was initially reluctant to undergo surgery in Florida but was persuaded by doctors that serious complications could arise if he left the hospital.
The lawyers also alleged that Shaknovsky proceeded to label the removed liver specimen as a 'spleen' and told Bryan's wife post-operation that the "spleen" was so diseased it was four times larger than usual and had migrated to the other side of Bryan's body. Sheriff Adkinson expressed condolences, stating, "Our thoughts remain with the victim's family and their unspeakable loss."
Ongoing Legal and Professional Repercussions
An extensive investigation by the Walton County Sheriff's Office, the state attorney for Walton County, and state medical authorities followed the incident. The grand jury returned an indictment for second-degree manslaughter, a second-degree felony. If convicted, Shaknovsky faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
No lawyer was listed for Shaknovsky, who has also lost his medical licenses in Alabama and New York following Bryan's death. This case highlights severe lapses in surgical protocols and patient safety, underscoring the need for rigorous oversight in medical practices.
