Florida Surgeon Charged in Wrong-Organ Removal Death

A Florida surgeon faces second-degree manslaughter charges after allegedly removing a patient's liver instead of his spleen during a routine procedure, leading to the man's death on the operating table in August 2024.

Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, was arrested on Monday and booked into Walton County Jail following an indictment by a grand jury in the First Judicial Circuit. The charge stems from the death of William Bryan, a 70-year-old Navy veteran from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, who succumbed to catastrophic blood loss during surgery at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast hospital in Miramar Beach. Prosecutors allege Shaknovsky's actions in the operating room constituted criminal negligence under Florida law, carrying a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Bryan and his wife, Beverly, had traveled to the area for a vacation and maintenance on their rental condo when he experienced sharp abdominal pain on August 18, 2024. A CT scan revealed an enlarged spleen and blood in the abdominal cavity, prompting his admission to the hospital. According to Florida Department of Health records, Shaknovsky recommended a laparoscopic splenectomy, but Bryan initially...