Florida Doctor Indicted After Allegedly Removing Patient's Liver Instead of Spleen in Fatal Surgery

TL;DR

Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky is facing second-degree manslaughter charges for allegedly removing a patient's liver instead of their spleen during surgery.
The patient, a 70-year-old Alabama man, died in August 2024 following the procedure at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast.
Operating room staff raised concerns about the doctor's experience and the late timing of the surgery, which was converted from laparoscopic to open procedure without proper documentation.
Dr. Shaknovsky claimed he was unable to identify the organ due to shock and chaos, and suggested abnormal organ positioning contributed to the error.
Witness accounts describe a chaotic scene, including a burst megacolon and the doctor stapling a pulsing vessel while the abdomen was filled with blood.
Despite efforts, the patient died, and the medical examiner found no evidence to support Dr. Shaknovsky's claim of a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm.
Dr. Shaknovsky has a history of alleged medical errors, including removing a portion of a pancreas instead of an adrenal gland in a prior surgery.
His medical licenses in Florida, Alabama, and New York have been suspended or surrendered.
The wife of the patient who died alerted Alabama authorities, leading to a complaint and temporary suspension of his license there.
Alabama records indicate two prior operating mistakes in 2023, one of which resulted in another fatality.

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