Florida doctor indicted and accused of removing patient's liver instead of spleen in fatal surgery

It is a travesty that he was not indicted in 2023 the first or second time he removed the wrong body part and killed someone. And he remained employed and licensed.

Pretty huge difference between a spleen and a liver. The side of the body. The size. Straight up Dr. Magoo.

Full Article Text: > A Florida doctor has been indicted in connection with the death of a 70-year-old man who had the wrong organ removed during surgery. > Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, was indicted by a grand jury on a charge of second-degree manslaughter in the August 2024 death of the man of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the Office of the State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit said. > He was taken into custody in Miramar Beach, Florida, on Monday morning and transported to the Walton County Jail ahead of his court appearance Tuesday. > Prosecutors allege that on Aug. 21, 2024, during what was scheduled to be a laparoscopic splenectomy, Shaknovsky accidentally removed the victim's liver instead of his spleen. The move resulted in "catastrophic blood loss and the patient’s death on the operating table," a press release said. > In a phone call, the victim's widow, Beverly Bryan, identified her husband, Bill Bryan. > "When I tell people what happened, it still sounds too awful to be true that that could happen," she said. "I still have trouble believing it happened myself. Can you imagine?" > After the surgery, the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners filed a court order to temporarily suspend Shaknovsky's medical license. That license was revoked by the Alabama Medical Licensure Commission that same year. > His Florida license was also suspended in 2024, and his New York license was suspended in 2025. > The court order to suspend his license states that Shaknovsky recommended surgery after the 70-year-old patient came into the hospital, Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Emerald Coast, with complaints of abdominal pain, and imaging "revealed a suspected enlarged spleen and blood in the peritoneum with no active hemorrhage." > For the next two days, Shaknovsky advised the patient, who wanted to return home to Alabama, to get surgery, the filing says. On the third day, Shaknovsky "continued to pressure" the patient, who then acquiesced, according to the filing. > Shaknovsky continued the operation even while the patient went into cardiac arrest during the surgery, according to the filing. > "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 filing states. > After the surgery, the doctor said that the patient died of a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm, the filing states. > An autopsy found "no evidence of a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm," according to the filing. And while the patient's "spleen and its attachments were untouched and in the normal position, his liver was missing," the filing alleged. > A representative for Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Emerald Coast did not immediately reply to return a request for comment. > The filing also accused Shaknovsky of two other instances of malpractice, one of which the board alleges led to the death of another patient. > In that case, the board accused Shaknovsky of removing part of a patient's pancreas during a routine surgery in May 2023, in which the patient was supposed to have their left adrenal gland removed. > The board also accused Shaknovsky of removing part of a patient's intestine during another procedure in July 2023, causing a gastrointestinal perforation, where a hole develops in the intestine. Shortly after the surgery, the patient was moved to the ICU and died, the filing states. > A representative for the board did not immediately reply to a request for comment. > In 2024, Shaknovsky settled a malpractice claim regarding the May 2023 incident for $400,000, according to public records from the Florida Department of Health. > In 2025, Beverly Bryan filed a civil complaint against Shaknovsky, accusing the surgeon of causing her husband's death. The outcome of the case was still pending when Shaknovsky was taken into custody this week. > "He would want his death to prevent someone else from being hurt, which is what I think the criminal charges being brought will do," Beverly Bryan said of her husband. "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." > Despite the accusations, Shaknovsky indicated he has "never been asked to or allowed to resign from or had any medical staff privileges restricted or revoked within the last 10 years," according to public records from the Florida Department of Health. > Shaknovsky could not be reached for comment, and it is unclear whether he has retained an attorney. The State Attorney’s Office of the First Judicial Circuit did not immediately reply to a request for comment. > Shaknovsky graduated from Midwestern University's Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2009, according to public records.

The most shocking part of this to me is that this isn’t the first time this surgeon has removed the wrong organ from someone. He previously removed someone’s pancreas instead of their adrenal gland. Should have lost his medical license then

The history of this dude....how he got his medical license in the first place is beyond me

I read the documentation from the hospital investigation, and this is a very rough summary: This is indefensible. There’s little to no description of the pre-op CT - so who knows what that actually showed. This will likely come out. The patient apparently had some hemoperitoneum (blood in the belly) on the CT, but was hemodynamically stable. His H/H (blood counts) were drifting down over three days, but he was stable. No idea if there was any evidence of splenic injury on CT. This is the first chance to abort mission. He’s stable. There’s no indication for emergency splenectomy. They could have transferred him to a real hospital or continued to monitor. The surgeon decides to perform a hand assisted laparoscopic splenectomy for… reasons. Even though he hasn’t performed a splenectomy in three years. He places the laparoscopic ports and can’t see shit, because the colon is abnormally dilated. Second chance to abort mission and close up. He instead decides to convert to open splenectomy. Even though it’s not indicated. He makes a midline incision (you wouldn’t necessarily make the incision on the right or the left), which should allow visualization of the abdomen. The distended colon immediately bulges out of the abdominal cavity. He can’t see shit. Third chance to abort mission and close up. He proceeds. He “thinks” he identifies (feels, sees??!) a splenic artery aneurysm and fires a stapler across what he thinks is the splenic artery??? Although, I get the impression that he couldn’t see anything and was just feeling around. This causes massive hemorrhage, because it was probably the IVC (large vein in the abdomen that drains all the blood from the legs/kidneys back to the heart). No idea how he exposed the IVC or confused it for the splenic artery. They’re VERY different. Now he REALLY can’t see shit, because the colon is in the way and now there’s also blood gushing everywhere. Now you’re in it. Can’t just abort and close up. You’ve got to identify and stop the bleeding. BUT, he can’t see shit. So he just indiscriminately fires the stapler in the abdomen a couple of times. Not surprisingly, that does not help. At this point, the patient’s heart has stopped due to massive blood loss. Chest compressions have started. The surgeon blindly grabs onto the largest organ he can find by feel, because he can’t really see it (I guess) and quickly and haphazardly dissects it out. He’s thinking that getting the spleen out quickly is the only chance to save this patient. He then triumphantly delivers a very obvious whole liver to the field and declares it a spleen. Everyone else can clearly see it’s a liver. Someone says something to the effect of - “that’s a f****** liver”. The patient is already dead from blood loss by this point. The surgeon then frantically tries to convince everyone that the patient died from a splenic aneurysm that ruptured intraoperatively. He also tries to convince everyone that he has removed a spleen, cosplaying as a liver. The pathologist reports that the gross specimen is obviously a liver, before even looking at the prepared slides under a microscope. That’s the readers digest version. The techs and anesthesiologist (CRNA) couldn’t see what he was doing, because HE couldn’t see what he was doing. They didn’t know he was taking out the liver, until he proudly produced the specimen. He should never have touched this patient. Fortunately, he will never touch another patient again. His last operation killed a man and crowned the next w***** of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire: Medical Edition. No way to defend this.

The spleen is on the opposite side of the body, is much smaller and looks nothing like the liver. What the hell happened here?

"After the surgery, the doctor said that the patient died of a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm, the filing states. An autopsy found "no evidence of a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm," according to the filing. And while the patient's "spleen and its attachments were untouched and in the normal position, his liver was missing," the filing alleged." Holy shit  He was even like "well if I say the spleen was faulty, they can't prove it wasn't after it's been removed"  Holy shit, like the even fucked up the cover-up

How in the blue f*** does one mistaken liver instead of spleen? I wonder what his previous 10 year history is like?  Assistant to another surgeon and never went off on his own supervised? Fake it till he makes it? 

Human anatomist reporting in here. In addition to what everyone else is saying (that the liver and the spleen cannot be confused) it takes a \*lot\* of cutting to remove a liver from a human. If the phrasing is correct, that the liver was actually removed, it was intentional - the guy knew he was cutting out a liver when he removed its multiple unique connections to other parts of the abdomen (portal triad, falciform ligament, and hepatic veins way in the back).

> "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 filing states. Nope, no, absolutely not. I refuse to believe someone with surgical training would believe a liver was spleen. Never mind the size difference, they're not even on the same side of the body. Something would have to be seriously... > The filing also accused Shaknovsky of two other instances of malpractice, one of which the board alleges led to the death of another patient. In that case, the board accused Shaknovsky of removing part of a patient's pancreas during a routine surgery in May 2023, in which the patient was supposed to have their left adrenal gland removed. > The board also accused Shaknovsky of removing part of a patient's intestine during another procedure in July 2023, causing a gastrointestinal perforation, where a hole develops in the intestine. Shortly after the surgery, the patient was moved to the ICU and died, the filing states. Yeah, ok, sounds like there's something seriously wrong with this guy.

Ugh. I have to go to that hospital next week for cancer treatment. And my oncologist there (before I switched) already didn’t disclose my diagnosis for like 4 months. None of this particularly inspires confidence in that place.

What’s that George Carlin bit about someone somewhere out there is the worst doctor on the planet and someone’s making an appointment to see them…

Medical school is just part of the issue. Where did he do his surgical residency? Did he not finish it? Was he even eligible for board certification?

Wow, this is the SECOND time he's removed the wrong organ and the 3rd person he's killed. The board accused Shaknovsky of removing part of a patient's pancreas during a routine surgery in May 2023, in which the patient was supposed to have their left adrenal gland removed. The board also accused Shaknovsky of removing part of a patient's intestine during another procedure in July 2023, causing a gastrointestinal perforation, where a hole develops in the intestine. Shortly after the surgery, the patient was moved to the ICU and died, the filing states.

This guy has less anatomy knowledge than your average Operation player, aka children

I mean, they all look the same to me, but they shouldn't to HIM.

Yall remember Dr Death?

I know the difference between a liver and a spleen and I’m an idiot

And he removed the wrong organ of a different patient in 2023 which resulted in their death, and then perforated another patient's bowel which also resulted in their death. Why was he allowed to keep working??

As a Nurse I can't imagine how he confused a liver with a spleen. He also removed another wrong organ on some other patient. I think he got his medical degree out of a C****** Jack box.

Did he open his testimony with "Hi Everybody!" ?

This is what happens when you cheat on tests and lie on resumes.

And he lied about what he did, reporting that his patient "died of a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm".

So he perforated some major vessel during the laparoscopy and converted to open surgery due to the blood obscuring the field, even then, instead of identifying the source of the bleed correctly he assumes its a splenic artery rupture and does the ligation and removal of the f****** liver?

What the actual f***?! HOW?! I’m a layperson when it comes to surgery and even my dumb ass could tell the difference between a f****** liver and a spleen. The liver is MASSIVE! And right under the diaphragm! How in all the god’s names do you f*** that up?!

I can tell those organs apart. I am not a doctor. WHAT THE F***!