William Bryan, a 70-year-old Alabama man tragically lost his life during surgery in Florida after a surgeon mistakenly removed his liver, then attempted to pass off the organ as an “enlarged spleen”, according to the attorney representing the man’s widow.
Bryan was a resident of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and was visiting his rental property in Okaloosa County, Florida, with his wife Beverly when he began experiencing severe pain in his lower left abdomen.
Bryan was admitted to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Walton County for concerns about a potential spleen abnormality, as detailed by Zarzaur Law P.A. in a social media post.
General Surgeon Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, along with the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Christopher Bacani, advised Bryan and his family that immediate surgery was necessary to avoid serious complications.
Reluctantly, Bryan agreed to undergo a hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy on August 21.
However, during the procedure, Dr. Shaknovsky mistakenly removed Bryan’s liver, severing its major blood vessels. The surgical cut resulted in “immediate and catastrophic blood loss resulting in death,” the post read.
After erroneously removing Bryan’s liver, the general surgeon labelled the organ as a “spleen,” which was only identified as a liver after the man’s death, as reported by the New York Post.
Dr Shaknovsky later informed Beverly Bryan that her husband’s “spleen” was severely diseased, had grown four times its normal size, and had shifted to the other side of his body.
This explanation contradicted basic anatomical knowledge, as the liver is located in the upper right side of the abdominal cavity, while the spleen is situated on the upper left side, which is significantly smaller and lighter than the liver.
Zarzaur Law P A also revealed that Dr. Shaknovsky had a history of surgical errors, including a 2023 incident where he allegedly removed part of a patient’s pancreas instead of the intended adrenal gland. That case was reportedly settled confidentially.
Beverly Bryan, devastated by the loss of her husband, has retained Zarzaur Law to seek justice.
She expressed her determination to prevent Dr. Shaknovsky from operating on other patients, stating, “My husband died helpless on the operating room table due to Dr. Shaknovsky’s incompetence. I don’t want anyone else to suffer the same fate at a hospital that should have known about his previous, life-altering surgical mistakes.”
She is now pursuing both civil and criminal proceedings related to her husband’s death. In response to the incident, North Walton Doctor’s Hospital has distanced itself from Dr Shaknovsky, removing his photos and references from their website.
Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital is currently conducting an internal investigation but has declined to provide specific details.
In a statement obtained by AL.com, the hospital emphasised its commitment to patient safety and privacy, saying, “We take allegations like this very seriously, and our leadership team is performing a thorough investigation into this event. Patient safety is and remains our number one priority. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family.”
Following William Bryan’s death, a small cyst was discovered on his spleen, which is believed to be the source of the pain that led to his hospitalisation.
Bryan was a resident of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and was visiting his rental property in Okaloosa County, Florida, with his wife Beverly when he began experiencing severe pain in his lower left abdomen.
Bryan was admitted to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Walton County for concerns about a potential spleen abnormality, as detailed by Zarzaur Law P.A. in a social media post.
General Surgeon Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, along with the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Christopher Bacani, advised Bryan and his family that immediate surgery was necessary to avoid serious complications.
Reluctantly, Bryan agreed to undergo a hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy on August 21.
However, during the procedure, Dr. Shaknovsky mistakenly removed Bryan’s liver, severing its major blood vessels. The surgical cut resulted in “immediate and catastrophic blood loss resulting in death,” the post read.
After erroneously removing Bryan’s liver, the general surgeon labelled the organ as a “spleen,” which was only identified as a liver after the man’s death, as reported by the New York Post.
Dr Shaknovsky later informed Beverly Bryan that her husband’s “spleen” was severely diseased, had grown four times its normal size, and had shifted to the other side of his body.
This explanation contradicted basic anatomical knowledge, as the liver is located in the upper right side of the abdominal cavity, while the spleen is situated on the upper left side, which is significantly smaller and lighter than the liver.
Zarzaur Law P A also revealed that Dr. Shaknovsky had a history of surgical errors, including a 2023 incident where he allegedly removed part of a patient’s pancreas instead of the intended adrenal gland. That case was reportedly settled confidentially.
Beverly Bryan, devastated by the loss of her husband, has retained Zarzaur Law to seek justice.
She expressed her determination to prevent Dr. Shaknovsky from operating on other patients, stating, “My husband died helpless on the operating room table due to Dr. Shaknovsky’s incompetence. I don’t want anyone else to suffer the same fate at a hospital that should have known about his previous, life-altering surgical mistakes.”
She is now pursuing both civil and criminal proceedings related to her husband’s death. In response to the incident, North Walton Doctor’s Hospital has distanced itself from Dr Shaknovsky, removing his photos and references from their website.
Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital is currently conducting an internal investigation but has declined to provide specific details.
In a statement obtained by AL.com, the hospital emphasised its commitment to patient safety and privacy, saying, “We take allegations like this very seriously, and our leadership team is performing a thorough investigation into this event. Patient safety is and remains our number one priority. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family.”
Following William Bryan’s death, a small cyst was discovered on his spleen, which is believed to be the source of the pain that led to his hospitalisation.
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