An Alabama man passed away on the operating table after a Florida surgeon mistakenly removed his liver during what was supposed to be a routine procedure Aug. 21, a law firm claimed.
William Bryan, 70, of Alabama was admitted to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Walton County, Florida, after experiencing abdominal pain while visiting his rental in August, according to a Zarzaur Law P.A. Facebook post. Doctors identified an abnormality in Bryan’s spleen and recommended immediate surgery, the law firm claimed.
Bryan’s family was allegedly hesitant about the surgery. However, general surgeon Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky and the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Christopher Bacani convinced Bryan and his family to proceed, the law firm claimed. They warned that delaying the procedure could lead to serious complications, according to Zarzaur Law P.A.’s post.
Dr. Shaknovsky mistakenly removed Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen during the surgery, cutting the liver’s major vasculature blood vessels, the law firm claimed. This caused “immediate and catastrophic blood loss,” resulting in Bryan’s death, according to the post. After the procedure, Shaknovsky allegedly attempted to pass off the liver as the “spleen,” explaining to Bryan’s widow that the organ was unusually large and had migrated to a different location in his body. It was discovered that the organ was Bryan’s liver after his death, according to the law firm. (RELATED: Jury Awards Man Who Went Into Coma $27 Million After Doctor Said He Had The Flu)
“We take allegations like this very seriously, and our leadership team is performing a thorough investigation into this event. Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast has a longstanding history of providing safe, quality care since the hospital opened its doors in 2003,” the hospital said in a statement to AL.com. “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.”
Bryan’s widow is pursuing civil and criminal actions against the surgeon, according to the law firm. “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,” Beverly Bryan alleged in a statement through her lawyers.
