The Miami Florida State Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo, suspended a doctor’s license for performing a bungled procedure that resulted in the patient’s death.
Thomas Shaknovsky, a US doctor, is accused of removing William Bryan’s liver rather than his spleen, resulting in his death.
According to the New York Post, Bryan and his wife Beverly were visiting Florida from Alabama when he started experiencing lower left abdomen pain.
The pair reportedly proceeded to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital, where doctors were concerned about a spleen anomaly and hospitalized him for further testing.
According to the publication, examinations indicated a potentially enlarged spleen and blood in the peritoneum, but no active haemorrhages.
It was also said that Shaknovsky recommended Bryan have a laparoscopic splenectomy, which removes the spleen, but the 70-year-old patient rejected and indicated a desire to return to Alabama. However, Shaknovsky persuaded him to undergo the procedure right away.
Furthermore, the publication stated that there were worries in the operation room. Staff noticed that there were insufficient doctors to undertake the complex treatment, and Shaknovsky was underprepared for the operation.
“Staff had concerns that Dr. Shaknovsky did not have the skill level to safely perform this procedure,” Ladapo stated in his report.
The Miami Herald stated that doctors watched Shaknovsky allegedly dissecting the wrong organ while Bryan was bleeding out during the procedure.
Shaknovsky is believed to have placed an identifiable liver on the table and claimed it was a spleen.
“One staff member felt sick to their stomach,” Ladapo stated at the time.
The staff’s attempts to resuscitate Bryan were futile.
A lawyer from Zarzaur Law Firm, which represents Bryan’s wife, told USA Today that they will file a medical malpractice lawsuit against Shaknovsky.
Following an investigation into Bryan’s death, the legal team discovered that Shaknovsky had previously conducted surgery on the wrong region of a patient’s body.
At the same hospital in 2023, Shaknovsky accidentally removed a part of a patient’s pancreas instead of the adrenal gland.
The case was resolved outside of court, and Shaknovsky continued to practice as a surgeon at the hospital.
“Dr. Shaknovsky’s continued practice as an osteopathic physician presents an immediate, serious danger to the health, welfare, and safety of the public,” Ladapo was quoted as saying after suspending Shaknovsky.
There have been no criminal accusations filed against Shaknovsky.