Florida doctor indicted after allegedly removing patient's liver instead of spleen in fatal surgery

Key Points:

• Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, a Florida-licensed physician, was arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter after allegedly removing a patient's liver instead of the spleen during surgery in August 2024, resulting in the patient's death.
• The surgery took place at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast with a skeletal staff late in the day, amid concerns about Dr. Shaknovsky's experience and chaotic operating conditions, including a burst megacolon obstructing visibility.
• Dr. Shaknovsky claimed abnormal organ positioning led to the misidentification, but medical examiners found no evidence supporting his explanation, and staff were reportedly shocked by the error.
• His medical history reveals prior serious mistakes, including a 2024 surgery where he removed part of a pancreas instead of an adrenal gland, and a 2023 operation in Alabama that resulted in another patient’s death; his licenses in Florida, Alabama, and New York have been suspended or surrendered.
• Authorities and medical boards consider Dr. Shaknovsky a danger to patients, and investigations continue as he remains in custody on a $75,000 bond awaiting legal proceedings.