Florida surgeon who removed wrong organ says he is ‘forever traumatized’ by patient’s death

Key Points:

• Florida surgeon Thomas Shaknovsky was indicted on manslaughter charges after mistakenly removing a patient's liver instead of his spleen during surgery, leading to the patient's death in August 2024; Shaknovsky has pleaded not guilty.
• In a deposition, Shaknovsky described the surgery as chaotic due to unexpected bleeding and anatomical challenges, expressing deep remorse and trauma over the fatal error and the loss of his patient, William Bryan.
• The lawsuit filed by Bryan’s widow accuses Shaknovsky of medical malpractice and covering up the mistake by mislabeling the removed organ, while the hospital stated Shaknovsky was not directly employed by them at the time.
• Shaknovsky has faced previous malpractice allegations, including a 2023 incident involving removal of the wrong organ and a failure to recognize sepsis signs, resulting in loss of medical licenses in multiple states after Bryan’s death.
• After his indictment, Shaknovsky was arrested while working as a Lyft driver, with video showing law enforcement detaining him amid passengers in his vehicle.