A surgeon accidentally killed a patient by removing his liver instead of his spleen, a lawsuit has claimed.
Beverly Bryan of Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Florida and Dr. Thomas is suing Shaknowski.
Newsweek On Tuesday, Dr. An email from Shakanovsky sought comment.
According to a statement by Beverly Bryan’s Pensacola-based attorney, Joe Zarzaur, the couple from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, were visiting their rental property in Okaloosa County, Florida, when Bill Bryan suddenly began to feel pain in his left side.
He went to Sacred Heart, where Dr. Shakanowski told them that Bill Bryan needed immediate surgery.
“On August 21, 2024, Dr. Shakanovsky performed a hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy procedure,” the statement reads.
“During this operation, Dr. Shaknowski removed Mr. Bryan’s liver and, in doing so, transected the major vasculature supplying the liver, resulting in immediate and catastrophic blood loss resulting in death.”
“The surgeon proceeded to label the removed liver specimen as ‘spleen’ and did not recognize until after death that the removed organ was actually Mr. Bryan’s liver, as opposed to spleen.”
“The surgeon told Ms. Bryan after the procedure that the “spleen” was so diseased that it was four times larger than normal and had migrated to the other side of Mr. Bryan’s body,” the statement alleges.
The family was later informed that Bill Bryan’s spleen was still in his body and visible with a small cyst on its surface, according to the statement.
“Perhaps most troubling is that Dr. Shakanovsky performed a previous wrong-site surgery in 2023 where he mistakenly removed a portion of a patient’s pancreas, performing the intended adrenal gland resection instead,” the statement says.
Newsweek Not able to independently verify the claim.
“That case was settled in confidence, and Dr. Shakanovsky recently remained as a surgeon at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital until August 2024. It is uncertain whether he maintains privileges at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital or other area facilities. is,” he adds.
Beverly Bryan is now prosecuting both criminal and civil cases.
“My husband died while lying helpless on the operating room table [of] Dr. Shakanovsky,” she said in a statement.
Ascension Medical Group said Newsweek In a statement: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. The leadership of Sacred Heart Emerald Coast is investigating the matter.
There has been considerable debate this year over whether Florida’s law makes it more difficult for families to sue doctors for emotional damages when a loved one dies.
In February, an attempt was made to repeal a law that prevented pain and suffering lawsuits against doctors when an adult patient died. The law applies only to adult patients and adult family members.
The measure was defeated in the state legislature in March.
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