An Alabama resident, William ‘Bill’ Bryan, aged 70, from Muscle Shoals, succumbed to a surgical error at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Miramar Beach, Florida, on August 21, 2024. His liver was erroneously removed instead of his spleen during what should have been a standard procedure.

While in Destin, Florida, with his wife Beverly to inspect their rental property, Bryan began to suffer pain in his left shoulder, neck, and side. He sought medical aid at the nearby Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital. Here, Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, a colon and rectal surgeon, diagnosed a bleeding and ruptured cyst surrounding Bryan’s spleen.

Contrary to the advice of Bryan’s Alabama-based doctor, who suggested Bryan be taken back home for the surgical procedure, Dr. Shaknovsky insisted on performing the operation at the Emerald Coast Hospital. He argued that Bryan might bleed to death if moved, according to Beverly Bryan.

Dr. Shaknovsky performed a hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery on Bryan on August 21, only two days before the Bryans’ 34th wedding anniversary. The intent was to carry out a splenectomy, or spleen removal. However, Bryan’s liver was removed in error during the operation, resulting in immediate and devastating blood loss.

The surgical pathology report later confirmed that the organ removed was not the spleen but a liver weighing 4 pounds, 10 ounces. Bryan suffered cardiac arrest on the operating table, and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.

“Everyone knows you can’t live without a liver. It’s like taking somebody’s heart out,” said Beverly Bryan, a retired nurse, expressing her profound grief and indignation over her husband’s death.

Dr. Shaknovsky identified the removed organ as the “spleen” and sent it for pathology after the surgery. He stated in his post-surgery documentation and in conversation with Bryan’s wife that he believed he had removed a diseased spleen four times the normal size that had migrated to another part of Bryan’s body. However, a post-mortem examination revealed that Bryan’s spleen was still present, with a minor cyst on its surface.

To seek justice for William’s death, the Bryan family has engaged attorney Joe Zarzaur. Zarzaur has begun the pre-suit procedure for a possible civil lawsuit for medical malpractice, which could take 6-9 months to conclude under Florida law.

Bill’s death has left his family anguished and angry, attributing the incident to the incompetence of the doctors and the negligence of Ascension Hospital, according to Beverly Bryan.

Concerns have been raised about Dr. Shaknovsky’s history of surgeries. Medical records indicate that this was not the first instance of a “wrong-site surgery” conducted by the doctor. In 2023, he made a similar error at the same facility, removing a part of a patient’s pancreas instead of an adrenal gland. That case was reportedly settled during the pre-suit process for an undisclosed amount.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office, together with the District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office and the Office of the State Attorney, is reviewing the details of the case to decide if any criminal charges should be filed. They have asked for the public’s patience during the investigation, emphasizing the complexity of such cases.

Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital extended condolences to the family and confirmed that an internal investigation into the incident is underway. The hospital stated that its leadership is committed to taking appropriate action based on the findings of the investigation.

Despite the ongoing investigation, media reports suggest that Dr. Shaknovsky has not faced criminal charges and he has no public complaints with the Florida Department of Health about the previous incident. The Bryan family’s lawyer has expressed concern over the possibility of the doctor continuing to practice and treat patients during the investigation.