Arrest After Two-Year Investigation
Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, was arrested Monday following a two-year investigation into the August 2024 death of 70-year-old William Bryan of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Shaknovsky is charged with second-degree manslaughter after allegedly removing Bryan's liver instead of his spleen during a scheduled laparoscopic splenectomy.
Botched Surgery Details
Bryan arrived at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach on August 18, 2024, with abdominal pain, and Dr. Shaknovsky recommended surgery. According to a 2024 emergency application to suspend Dr. Shaknovsky's license, the patient initially refused the operation but conceded under pressure from Dr. Shaknovsky. The procedure was scheduled late in the day on August 21, 2024, after 5 p.m., raising concerns among operating room staff about a skeletal crew being available, and their lack of experience with splenectomies.
Operating Room Chaos
Operating room staff "knew splenectomies were complicated procedures that could quickly deteriorate and were not regularly performed at Ascension," according to documents. Dr. Shaknovsky started the laparoscopic procedure but then elected to convert to an open procedure, without properly documenting the reasons. The patient started to hemorrhage, and his vitals dropped, so the operating staff called an emergency code. According to the emergency application to suspend Dr. Shaknovsky's license, a megacolon allegedly burst, obstructing visibility. According to the emergency application, Dr. Shaknovsky identified a pulsing vessel, stapled it, and continued to dissect even as the abdomen was full of blood, failing to ask for essential tools like a clamp or cauterizer.
Misidentified Organ
Dr. Shaknovsky identified a vessel that he intended to cut and noted that he could feel it pulsing under his finger, telling the staff member assisting him, "that's scary." He ultimately removed the liver, identifying it as the spleen, an organ distinct in size, color, and location. According to the emergency application, staff members were shocked by this misidentification. Despite resuscitation efforts, the patient was pronounced dead.
License Suspensions and Prior Mistakes
Dr. Shaknovsky's medical licenses in Florida, Alabama, and New York were all suspended or turned in before his recent arrest. The Florida Department of Health suspended Dr. Shaknovsky's license in September 2024. In May 2023, Dr. Shaknovsky had operated on a 58-year-old man, removing a portion of his pancreas instead of the adrenal gland during an adrenalectomy, according to Florida's Department of Health. He documented removing the left adrenal gland and later claimed the adrenal gland had "migrated." The patient suffered permanent harm from this error.
Legal Proceedings and Potential Penalties
Dr. Shaknovsky is being held at the Walton County Jail on a $75,000 bond. If convicted of second-degree manslaughter, he faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said, "The Grand Jury has spoken, and our responsibility is to ensure the charges are carried out through the proper legal process."
