The Florida surgeon accused of removing the wrong organ allegedly tried to cover up the fatal "error" by ordering staff to mislabel the body part after the patient died, according to the state surgeon general.
The patient's death on Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky's operating table in August at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast hospital in Miramar, Florida, prompted the Florida Department of Health to launch an investigation into the doctor and subsequently suspend his license to practice medicine, last week.
In its report, the FDOH blamed 42-year-old Shaknovsky's "grievous medical error" for the death of 70-year-old William Bryan, when he allegedly removed his liver instead of his spleen, according to an emergency order obtained by The Destin Log.
Bryan and his wife were visiting Florida from Alabama when he began to experience pain on his left side. He underwent emergency surgery, purportedly at Shaknovsky's recommendation, according to his widow's attorney.
During the procedure, Bryan "began to severely hemorrhage and went into cardiac arrest. OR staff members observed a significant amount of blood pouring out, immediately disrupting visibility in the field," the emergency order read.
Despite a lack of visibility, Shaknovksy allegedly "continued dissecting," firing off a stapler "blindly" into Bryan's abdomen, while he allegedly took out the patient's liver instead of his spleen.
"Spleens and livers are anatomically distinct, have different consistencies, and are different colors," the order stated, according to the paper. "Additionally, the spleen is located on the left side of the abdomen while the liver is on the right side. The staff looked at the readily identifiable liver on the table and were shocked when Dr. Shaknovsky told them it was a spleen. One staff member felt sick to their stomach."
Bryan died and Shaknovsky allegedly ordered staff to mislabel the liver as a "spleen," repeatedly stating a "splenic artery aneurysm" ruptured, leading to the patient's death.
"The staff in the room felt that Dr. Shaknovsky was attempting to convince them that this is what occurred, even though they witnessed something different."
An autopsy later found Bryan's spleen still intact and his liver removed.
In their decision to revoke Shaknosky's license, investigators determined allowing him to continue practicing medicine would present an "immediate, serious danger to the health, welfare, and safety of the public" and "due to the scope and severity of the issues with Dr. Shaknovsky's treatment of patients," anything less would be "inadequate to protect the public."
In a similar incident in 2023, Shaknovsky mistakenly removed a portion of a patient's pancreas instead of his adrenal gland.
Shaknovsky argued the patient's "adrenal gland had 'migrated' to a different part of the body," according to the report. The FDOH said the patient "suffered long-term permanent harm as a result of Dr. Shaknovsky's error."
