Florida doctor charged after allegedly removing wrong organ during surgery

A erstwhile Florida surgeon was indicted by a expansive assemblage aft authorities said helium removed a man's liver alternatively of his spleen.

The Office of the State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit successful Florida announced successful a merchandise Monday that Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky was charged with second-degree manslaughter aft helium allegedly removed the liver from 70-year-old Bill Bryan of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, successful 2024 during a process astatine Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital successful Miramar Beach, Florida.

Prosecutors allege the country was scheduled to beryllium a laparoscopic splenectomy, a minimally invasive process utilized to region the spleen, but the removal of Bryan's liver resulted successful "catastrophic humor nonaccomplishment and the patient’s decease connected the operating table."

A Walton County expansive assemblage said the surgeon's actions successful the operating country "constituted transgression behaviour nether Florida law."

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Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky is down bars successful Walton County, Fla., aft a expansive assemblage indictment connected to the operating country decease of an Alabama man. (Walton County Sheriff’s Office)

"Our work is to travel the facts wherever they lead, without fearfulness oregon favor," Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said successful a quality release. "The Grand Jury has spoken, and our work is to guarantee the charges are carried retired done the due ineligible process. Our thoughts stay with the victim’s household and their unspeakable loss."

Adkinson did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment.

Available tribunal records did not database an lawyer for Shaknovsky. It is unclear whether helium has retained ineligible representation.

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Bill Bryan's, left, liver was allegedly removed alternatively of his spleen, starring to his death. (Zarzaur Law Firm)

Following Bryan's decease successful 2024, the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners filed a tribunal bid to suspend Shaknovsky's aesculapian license, which was granted that aforesaid year. His Florida aesculapian licence was besides suspended successful 2024, followed by his New York licence successful 2025.

The Florida tribunal bid to suspend Shaknovsky's licence revealed helium had antecedently made akin mistakes and lied to screen them up. In May 2023, helium removed a information of a patient’s pancreas alternatively of the adrenal gland. When the surgeon was approached astir the mistake, helium claimed the adrenal gland had "migrated" to a antithetic portion of the body.

Fox News Digital antecedently reported the diligent successful that lawsuit suffered "long-term, imperishable harm."

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A surgeon has been charged with second-degree manslaughter by a expansive assemblage aft allegedly removing a patient's liver alternatively of his spleen. (iStock)

"Dr. Shaknovsky’s repeated egregious surgical errors resulted successful important diligent harm coupled with his nonaccomplishment to instrumentality work for these errors indicates that his reckless behaviour is apt to continue," the bid said. "Therefore, Dr. Shaknovsky’s continued signifier arsenic an osteopathic doc presents an immediate, superior information to the health, welfare, and information of the public."

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Shaknovsky is being held astatine the Walton County Jail and is awaiting his archetypal tribunal appearance. If convicted, helium faces a maximum of 15 years successful prison, according to the State Attorney's Office.

Fox News Digital's Lorraine Taylor and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.