Patient dies in Florida after liver removed from spleen: lawyers

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A patient has died after a surgeon allegedly removed his liver instead of his spleen during an operation in Florida last month.

William Bryan’s widow said she did not want anyone to die because of a doctor’s negligence, in a statement from his lawyers.

She said: “My husband died on the operating room table without help.

Bryan, 70, and his wife Beverly were at their rental property in the northwest corner of the country when William “suddenly began to feel pain in his left side,” according to a news release. of the Florida law firm Zarzaur Law, PA.

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He was admitted to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Walton County. He received tests related to a “spleen abnormality,” the law firm said. The chief medical officer of the hospital Dr. Christopher Bacani and general surgeon Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky is said to have told William that there could be problems if he leaves the hospital.

The 70-year-old did not want the surgery but was “persuaded,” the firm said, and the procedure was performed on Aug. 21.

During the operation, Shaknovsky removed Bryan’s liver, “causing immediate and severe blood loss that resulted in death,” the firm said. The firm also claimed that Shaknovsky mislabeled the spleen when it was removed from the body. It is said that she told Beverly that her “breast” was four times bigger than normal because it was sick, and it had moved to the other side of her husband’s body.

“Normal human anatomy means that the liver is naturally located on the opposite side of the abdomen, and is several times larger than the spleen,” according to the law firm.

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“The family was informed that Mr. Bryan’s spleen, which was the source of his initial symptoms when he was taken to hospital, was still in his body and appeared to have a small rash. upon you.”

The hospital “knew or should have known that he made serious, life-changing surgical errors,” Beverly said in a statement through his attorney.

The hospital said it was investigating Bryan’s death, NBC News reported.

“Patient safety is and remains our number one priority. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. We hold the privacy of our patients in the highest regard. We do not speak in special patient cases or active cases,” according to the statement.

Authorities are investigating to “determine whether a crime occurred,” the Walton County Sheriff’s Office told NBC News.

Shaknovsky did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the hospital.

According to the law firm, this was not the first time Shaknovsky made a similar mistake. In 2023, he was accused of “accidentally removing part of a patient’s pancreas,” Zarzaur said. The case was settled privately.

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It was not immediately clear if Shaknovsky still works as a surgeon at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital. In a post on X Tuesday, attorney Joe Zarzaur said it’s possible Shaknovsky is still seeing patients.

“From a legal standpoint, I’m not sure that you should have any procedures … with Dr. Shaknovsky until maybe you’ve had a second opinion,” he said in the video.

“I would definitely caution anyone who is planning to have surgery, from a legal perspective – it probably makes sense to get a second opinion.”

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