Florida surgeon charged with manslaughter after wrong-organ removal during splenectomy

A Florida doctor, Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, is charged with second-degree manslaughter after allegedly removing the liver instead of the spleen during a scheduled laparoscopic splenectomy, causing the patient’s death on the operating table. A Walton County grand jury found probable cause for the charge; Shaknovsky is jailed awaiting his first court appearance and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. The case follows prior licensure suspensions in Florida, Alabama and New York and accusations of other malpractice, including removal of parts of the pancreas and intestine in separate procedures.