Alabama widow files lawsuit after surgeon removes wrong organ, leading to husband's death
Key Takeaways
An Alabama man died during a spleen removal surgery after his liver was mistakenly removed.
Local authorities are investigating the incident. The surgeon, Thomas Shaknovsky, MD, had previously committed a similar surgical error in 2023
William Bryan, of Muscle Shoals, AL, began experiencing left-sided flank pain during a Florida vacation.[] Bryan and his wife, Beverly Bryan, were staying at their rental property when Bryan began experiencing symptoms. His symptoms caused him to seek treatment at the Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Miramar, FL. There, he was admitted and diagnosed with spleen abnormalities. When Bryan underwent spleen removal surgery a general surgeon, Thomas Shaknovsky, MD, removed his liver instead. Bryan died on the operating table at the age of 70.
Emergency surgery
At Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, the Bryans were advised that emergency surgery was the best option. According to Beverly Bryan’s attorneys, the couple expressed reluctance to have surgery in Florida and initially wished to return to Alabama for the procedure. Dr. Shaknovsky and the hospital’s chief medical officer, Christoper Bacani, MD, told the Bryans that William was at risk of serious complications if he left the hospital's care. This convinced the couple to stay in Florida for the surgery.
On August 21, William Bryan went into surgery. Dr. Shaknovsky performed a hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy and removed Bryan’s liver. The removal transected the major vasculature, causing severe blood loss resulting in death. According to Zarzaur Law, the firm representing Bryan, Dr. Shaknovsky labeled the removed liver as a ‘spleen.’
Allegedly, Dr. Shaknovsky told Beverly Bryan that her husband’s spleen had moved to the right side of his body and was four times its normal size.
An investigation begins
Local authorities, including the Walton County Florida Sheriff's Office, are investigating Bryan’s death. In a statement, the Sheriff’s Office said, “Walton County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office and Office of the State Attorney is reviewing the facts involving the death of William Bryan to determine if anything criminal took place.”[]
Beverly Bryan is pursuing criminal and civil charges against Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, Dr. Shaknovsky, and Dr. Bacani. Bryan’s attorney, Joe Zarzaur, said Dr. Shaknosky made a similar surgical error in 2023. According to Zarzaur, Dr. Shaknovsky removed portions of a patient’s pancreas instead of an adrenal gland. That case was settled privately.
According to a statement from her attorney, Bryan said, “My husband died while helpless on the operating room table by Dr. Shaknovsky. I don’t want anyone else to die due to his incompetence at a hospital that should have known or knew he had previously made drastic, life-altering surgical mistakes”[]
In a statement, Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast said it is taking the allegations seriously and performing a thorough investigation: “Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast has a longstanding history of providing safe, quality care since the hospital opened its doors in 2003. Patient safety is and remains our number one priority. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family. We hold the privacy of our patients in the highest regard. We do not comment on specific patient cases or active litigation.”
Dr. Shaknovsky’s medical license is still active. His employment status is unknown.
Preventing wrong-site surgical errors
An estimated 400,000 annual deaths in the United States are the result of medical errors.[] While there are numerous types of medical errors, surgical errors can have an especially high risk of severe patient harm. Some statistics show that wrong-site surgical errors occur in about one in 112,000 surgeries.[] As of 2019, over 30 million inpatient surgeries are performed in the US each year.
Multiple medical organizations have released safety standards to help combat surgical errors, including wrong-site errors. Orthopedic surgeon Mike Gerling, MD, says utilizing three key check-in points can reduce risk.
“This type of error is what the Joint Commission calls a ‘never-ever’ error, meaning it should never occur,” Dr. Gerling says. “The WHO Safe Surgical Checklist is one way to ensure the safest surgery possible. It allows for a team check-in at three important stages: before anesthesia, before incision, and post-op.”
Dr. Gerling says that the pre-incision check-in is a “time out” that ensures the entire surgical team is prepared to perform a safe procedure and allows them to communicate any potential issues.
“Identifying any concerns during this time allows the team to be prepared to and prevent these possible complications,” Dr. Gerling adds.
What this means for you
No physician is perfect; however, you can take steps to increase patient safety. Hospitals and other facilities will typically have patient safety plans in place, and physicians often take leadership roles in implementing these plans. You can read more about patient safety here.