Alabama widow’s heartbreak after husband died on operating table ‘when surgeons removed the WRONG organ’

An Alabama widow is sharing her grief after her husband died on the operating table after a surgeon allegedly removed the wrong organ.

Beverly Bryan said her husband of 33 years, William, 70, had to undergo emergency surgery in August after suddenly experiencing pain in his side while visiting their Florida rental home.

Although the problem was traced to his spleen, the surgeon, Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, is said to have accidentally removed his liver, resulting in fatal side effects.

The alleged medical error came to light when Beverly filed for civil and criminal damages, saying her husband “died while he was helpless.”

Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky is accused of accidentally removing Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen. He has not been charged with a crime by police

According to law firm Zarzaur Law, which represents Beverly, William initially did not want to undergo his fatal surgery, but was operated on anyway by doctors at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Walton County, Florida.

While in the hospital on August 18, he asked to be released so he could travel back to his doctor in Alabama. However, Shaknovsky and another doctor “persuaded” him to undergo the surgery, warning him of “serious complications” if he refused, the company said.

But Shaknovsky mistakenly identified William’s liver as his spleen, in a tragic error reported in a surgical pathology report described as “grossly identifiable.” Miami Herald.

When Shaknovsky removed the liver, he ruptured the blood vessels connected to the organ, causing “immediate and catastrophic blood loss resulting in death,” Zarzaur Law said.

After the surgery, Shaknovsky told Beverly that Williams’ “spleen was so diseased that it was four times larger than normal and had migrated to the other side of (his) body,” the company said.

Williams’ death occurred after the accidental removal of his liver ruptured the blood vessels connecting to the organ, causing “an immediate and catastrophic loss of blood resulting in death.”

Although William’s spleen was never removed, an autopsy revealed a small cyst on it.

William’s grieving widow now says she plans to file a lawsuit after pre-trial proceedings are complete.

“My husband died while lying helpless on the operating table with Dr. Shaknovsky,” Beverly said in a statement.

According to his obituary, William was the father of three children, had eight grandchildren, and was a U.S. Navy veteran who served in the Vietnam War.

In her statement, Beverly also accused Shaknovsky of accidentally removing a patient’s pancreas in 2023.

In that case, the surgeon “inadvertently removed part of a patient’s pancreas instead of performing the intended resection of the adrenal gland,” said Zarzaur Law, who added that “the matter was handled in confidence.”

According to his obituary, William was a Vietnam War veteran in the U.S. Navy and is survived by three children and eight grandchildren

Beverly said in her statement that she may take legal action because she “does not want to see another person die because of his incompetence in a hospital that should have known or should have known that he had previously made drastic, life-changing surgical errors.”

According to the Miami Herald, no disciplinary action or public complaints have been filed against Shaknovsky.

Shaknovsky has not been charged in the William Bryan case.

Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast said in a statement to McClatchy News: “We take allegations of this nature very seriously and our leadership team is conducting a thorough investigation into this incident.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” the statement said, noting that the hospital “does not comment on specific patient cases or ongoing litigation.”