On August 21, 2024, William “Bill” Bryan, a resident of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, passed away following a surgical error at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Miramar Beach, Florida. Bryan’s liver was mistakenly extracted instead of his spleen during a procedure that was supposed to be routine.
While he and his wife Beverly were visiting their rental property in Destin, Florida, Bryan, aged 70, started having pain in his left shoulder, neck, and side. He and Beverly sought help at Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital. There, Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, a colon and rectal surgeon, diagnosed Bryan with a ruptured and bleeding cyst near his spleen.
Ignoring advice from Bryan’s Alabama-based doctor to transport him back home for surgery, Dr. Shaknovsky decided to carry out the operation at Emerald Coast Hospital. He alleged that moving Bryan would lead to fatal blood loss, according to Beverly Bryan.
Two days before their 34th wedding anniversary, on August 21, Dr. Shaknovsky performed a hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery on Bryan. The procedure was meant to remove the spleen, but the surgeon unintentionally removed Bryan’s liver, leading to severe blood loss.
The surgical pathology report disclosed that the organ removed weighed four pounds, 10 ounces and was not the spleen, but Bryan’s liver. Bryan suffered a cardiac arrest during the procedure, and resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.
Beverly Bryan, a retired nurse, voiced her distress and anger over her husband’s loss, stating, “Everyone knows you can’t live without a liver. It’s like taking somebody’s heart out.”
Following the procedure, Dr. Shaknovsky identified the extracted organ as the “spleen” and forwarded it to pathology. He reportedly believed he had removed a very large diseased spleen that had migrated to the opposite side of Bryan’s body, during post-surgery dictation and while speaking to Bryan’s wife. However, a post-mortem examination revealed that Bryan’s spleen remained intact, with a minor cyst on it.
The Bryan family has engaged attorney Joe Zarzaur to pursue justice for William’s death. Zarzaur has begun the pre-suit process for a potential civil lawsuit for medical malpractice, a process that can take six to nine months as per Florida law.
Beverly Bryan revealed that her family is dealing with both heartbreak and anger over her husband’s death, attributing it to the incompetence of the doctors and negligence of Ascension Hospital.
This incident has prompted scrutiny of Dr. Shaknovsky’s surgical track record. According to medical records, this wasn’t the first “wrong-site surgery” by the doctor. In 2023, Dr. Shaknovsky reportedly removed part of a patient’s pancreas instead of an adrenal gland section at the same facility. The case was settled during the pre-suit process for an undisclosed amount.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office, along with the District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office and the Office of the State Attorney, is reviewing the case details to decide if criminal charges are warranted. They have requested public patience, emphasizing the complexity of such cases and the time needed for a thorough investigation.
Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital has expressed its condolences and confirmed its internal investigation into the incident. The hospital offers thoughts and prayers to the family and has committed to taking appropriate action after concluding its inquiry.
Media reports indicate that Dr. Shaknovsky faced no criminal charges and had no public complaints with the Florida Department of Health regarding the first incident. The Bryan family’s attorney has voiced concerns about the possibility of the doctor continuing to practice and treat patients during the ongoing investigation.
