Doctor suspended after he was accused of fatally removing a person's liver instead of his spleen

MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. (WAFF/Gray News) – A Florida doctor accused of fatally removing a man's liver instead of his spleen has had his license suspended.

According to attorney Joe Zarzaur, it all started when William Bryan felt pain in his left side while driving to a rental property in Florida with his wife last month.

Bryan was admitted to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital due to concerns about his spleen and was seen by Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky recommended for surgery, WAFF reported.

Shaknovsky is accused of removing Bryan's liver instead of his spleen, causing him to bleed out and die on the operating table.

After an autopsy, the medical examiner found that the spleen and its appendages were undamaged in their normal position.

The order, filed on September 24, 2024, ordered the immediate suspension of Shaknovsky's license to practice as an osteopathic physician.

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