Posted on 04/14/2026 3:16:47 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Dr Thomas Shaknovsky indicted for second-degree manslaughter after prosecutors allege he removed a patient's liver instead of his spleen SNIP
The Office of the State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit in Florida announced in a release Monday that Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky was charged with second-degree manslaughter after he allegedly removed the liver from 70-year-old Bill Bryan of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in 2024 during a procedure at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Miramar Beach, Florida. Prosecutors allege the surgery was scheduled to be a laparoscopic splenectomy, a minimally invasive procedure used to remove the spleen, but the removal of Bryan's liver resulted in "catastrophic blood loss and the patient’s death on the operating table."
A Walton County grand jury said the surgeon's actions in the operating room "constituted criminal conduct under Florida law."
"Our duty is to follow the facts wherever they lead, without fear or favor," Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in a news release. "The Grand Jury has spoken, and our responsibility is to ensure the charges are carried out through the proper legal process. Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family and their unspeakable loss." Available court records did not list an attorney for Shaknovsky. It is unclear whether he has retained legal representation.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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I have heard of a doctor removing the wrong side, but I don't remember one removing the wrong organ.
am not a doctor, but don't these organs look different, and the liver is much larger than the spleen?
Spleen, liver, potato potato, let’s call the whole thing off.
If this “doctor” could somehow escape to China, he would receive a Gold Star. They would also have him continue removing organs from those opposed to Communism. Even if you are a strong Chicom supporter, if someone higher up “needs” your organ(s) more than you do...... Oh well.
Was he drunk? OMG!
I seem to remember a case where a doctor amputated the wrong leg.
These little things happen don’t they? The liver is at least 5 times more volume than the spleen, but perhaps the surgeon was having a little recognition issue that day.
Expect more of this, folks. We’re so deep into a dire shortage of competent people needed to fill such positions.
The doc wants “Oops, my bad!” to be the extent of it?
Is it worse if he was drunk or sober? How could you do that sober?
Must have a big surprise of that firehouse of bleed that let loose.
No surgical nurse to aid doc?
Dr. Nick Riviera?
DOCTOR: I have Bad News, Good News for you.
PATIENT: What's the bad news?
DOCTOR: I accidentally removed your liver instead of your spleen so you only have about five minutes left to live.
PATIENT: What's the good news?
DOCTOR: No charge for the operation!
In fairness, he was supposed to watch a YouTube video of how to do the operation before, but his internet was down. You really can’t blame him for that.
But this case is more like Dr. Zoidberg to me.
What I don’t understand....this is an OR full of people. The surgeon(s), anesthesiologists, nurses...idk, orderlies and so forth. There has to be a chart or a monitor or something listing the procedure. And they’re all just standing there watching the lead surgeon remove a liver instead of a spleen??
Sure, it’s on the doc but imo, the facility is also to blame for sloppy operating protocols.
Oh, yeah.
There was a case where a small boy had cancr in one eye and needed it removed. The Dr. removed the healthy eye instead and discarded it. Later the boy had the correct, cancerous eye removed as well, becoming totally blind.
Surgeons have removed the wrong, non-cancerous breast before as well.
It happens. Shouldn’t. Google “Swiss cheese effect and medical errors” for insight as to how.
Many steps to prevent these but some sneak through.
The liver is massive compared to the spleen.
I can’t believe it was accidental.
It’s not an excuse, but with the procedure being laproscopic, the field of view is narrow enough that a nonsurgeon might not recognize which organ was being removed. I also wonder if the patient had Situs Inversus ( where the liver and spleen are on opposite sides from normal.
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