Wrong-site splenectomy leaves Florida surgeon 'forever traumatized' as manslaughter case unfolds

In an eight-hour deposition, Florida surgeon Thomas Shaknovsky described how, during a difficult August 2024 splenectomy, he accidentally removed William Bryan’s liver instead of the spleen, Bryan died from exsanguination, and Shaknovsky labeled the organ as a spleen afterward; he says he is “forever traumatized” by the outcome as he faces a manslaughter indictment and ongoing civil litigation. The hospital said he no longer practices at its facilities, and Shaknovsky has previously faced other malpractice allegations and license removals in multiple states. The case remains under civil and criminal scrutiny as details of the procedure continue to emerge.