A 70-year-old man from the United States, William Bryan, has died after a tragic surgical error where doctors mistakenly removed his liver instead of his spleen. This incident occurred at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Florida. Bryan and his wife Beverly had traveled to Florida and sought medical attention for lower left abdominal pain, initially suspected to be related to his spleen.
Upon admission, Bryan was convinced by doctors to undergo surgery for an abnormality of the spleen. Unfortunately, during the procedure, the surgeons removed his liver, which they initially misidentified as an “enlarged spleen.” This error resulted in immediate and catastrophic blood loss, leading to Bryan’s death.
The law firm representing Bryan’s widow, Beverly, alleges that General Surgeon Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Christopher Bacani convinced the family that the surgery was necessary to avoid serious complications. Bryan agreed to the surgery, which was a hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy, but the procedure went horrifically wrong.
According to the law firm, after the liver was removed, it was incorrectly labeled as a spleen by Dr. Shaknovsky. It was only after Bryan’s death that the mistake was realized. The surgeons had previously told Bryan’s wife that her husband’s “spleen” was diseased and abnormally large, while in fact, his actual spleen remained in place and appeared with a small cyst.
The lawsuit has highlighted Dr. Shaknovsky’s past issue with a “wrong-site surgery” in 2023, where he mistakenly removed a portion of a patient’s pancreas instead of performing the intended adrenal gland resection. This history raises serious concerns about his competence.
Bryan’s widow, Beverly, is pursuing both civil and criminal charges to seek justice for her husband’s death. She has criticized the hospital and the surgeon, calling for them to be held accountable to prevent future medical errors.
North Walton Doctor’s Hospital has disassociated itself from Dr. Shaknovsky, removing all references to him from its website. Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital has announced it is investigating the case to understand what went wrong during the surgery.
The incident underscores the critical importance of accurate medical procedures and thorough verification before and during surgery.