Florida surgeon charged with killing man after removing liver instead of spleen
3 hours ago
- #surgical_error
- #medical_malpractice
- #manslaughter_charge
- A Florida grand jury indicted surgeon Thomas Shaknovsky for second-degree manslaughter in the 2024 death of 70-year-old William Bryan during a botched operation.
- During a scheduled laparoscopic spleen removal, Shaknovsky instead opened Bryan's abdomen, severed a major vein causing fatal bleeding, and cut out his healthy liver, leaving the spleen untouched.
- An investigation by the Walton County Sheriff's Office and state authorities led to the indictment, with the sheriff stating the legal process would proceed and expressing condolences to the family.
- Shaknovsky was arrested and released on bond, facing up to 15 years in prison if convicted; his license was previously suspended in 2024 after the state health department's findings.
- The incident occurred while Bryan and his wife were visiting Florida from Alabama, with Bryan experiencing abdominal pain and imaging showing an enlarged spleen and blood in the abdominal cavity.