Florida surgeon removes wrong organ, resulting in patient’s death, widow claims

A Florida surgeon mistakenly removed a man’s liver instead of his spleen during surgery at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast hospital, causing the man to die on the operating table. The patient, William Bryan, was visiting Florida with his wife Beverly Bryan when he experienced pain and was advised to undergo surgery by the hospital’s general surgeon, Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, and chief medical officer, Dr. Christopher Bacani. The wrongful removal of Bryan’s liver resulted in his death due to catastrophic blood loss. An investigation into the death is ongoing by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, with allegations of medical malpractice and incompetence. This is not the first time Dr. Shaknovsky has made a surgical mistake, as he previously removed portions of a pancreas instead of an adrenal gland in a different case. Beverly Bryan is pushing for both criminal and civil proceedings against the surgeon to prevent further medical errors. The hospital is conducting a thorough investigation and takes the allegations seriously, emphasizing patient safety as a top priority. Despite these incidents, both Dr. Shaknovsky and Dr. Bacani have active medical licenses according to the Florida Board of Medicine. The Bryan family’s lawyer, Joe Zarzaur, is working to achieve justice for the family and advocate for safer medical practices in the community.

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