MUSCLE SHOALS — The family of a Muscle Shoals man is claiming a Florida surgeon killed 70-year-old Bill Bryan after mistakenly removing his liver during an operation last month.
Bryan, 70, and his wife, Beverly, were vacationing at their condo in Destin, Fla., Aug. 21 when Bill began having some pain on his left side.
They went to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital and he was admitted.
After CT scans and an MRI, doctors reported Bryan’s spleen was enlarged and were concerned about a possible malignancy, according to the operative report.
Bryan had been diagnosed with hemoperitoneum and a splenic injury, which led to the decision to operate. However, he died from massive blood loss after his liver was mistakenly removed by Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, who reportedly believed Bryan’s liver was his spleen.
The family originally wanted Bryan to be discharged so they could have surgery at a hospital at home, but Beverly said doctors were concerned it was too risky to transfer him.
Instead, Bill went in for surgery around 6 p.m., Aug. 21, Beverly said. The operative report stated that the spleen was “noted to be severely deformed,” and due to its large size, “we elected to convert to open procedure.”
“It’s one of the most egregious cases of medical malpractice that I’ve ever been involved with,” Bryan family attorney Joe Zarzaur said during a press conference. “The doctors kept suggesting that it was too dangerous to move him, that his spleen could rupture, and they needed to go forward with the procedure.
“Typical human anatomy dictates that the liver naturally exists on the opposite side of the abdominal cavity, and it is several times larger than the spleen.”
Shaknovsky was involved in a separate incident in 2023 where he mistakenly removed part of a patient’s pancreas instead of their adrenal gland, according to published reports. Zarzuar raised the issue with the surgeon continuing his practice after that mistake.
The family has not yet filed suit because, according to Florida law, a six to nine-month pre-suit process must take place before filing a formal medical malpractice lawsuit with the court, Zarzaur said. The family does intend to sue, Zarzaur said, but they remain concerned Shaknovsky may still be practicing medicine.
“I can’t tell you whether he’s practicing medicine as of today, but I know he’s been around in the last week or so,” said Zarzaur. “I think the major concern for me, and the reason I felt like a press release was necessary, was that this doctor was still treating patients and apparently still had access to hospitals and operating rooms, which I don’t think he should.”
An autopsy revealed Bryan’s spleen had a small cyst, which was not life-threatening. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office and Medical Examiner’s Office have launched a criminal investigation into the case.
“Our family and community is devastated by what’s happened and we feel that it is our duty to spread awareness and warn others,” said Beverly. “Bill had worked hard all his life to be able to afford a small condo at the beach, and we loved it down there. He was just absolutely the finest kind of man you’d ever want to meet.
“He was honest and dependable and generous, but he was tough. And he could have taken every one of those people in that operating room if he’d have been standing up.”
Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital said it is “performing a thorough investigation.”
“We take allegations like this very seriously, and our leadership team is performing a thorough investigation into this event,” the hospital said in a statement. “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.”
Bryan is survived by his wife, three children, and eight grandchildren
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