Florida surgeon loses license after mistakenly removing patient’s liver

A Florida surgeon had his medical license suspended after fatally removing a patient’s liver instead of spleen.

A Florida surgeon has had his medical license suspended after being accused of fatally removing the wrong organ from a patient during surgery. 

The Florida Department of Health and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo issued the emergency suspension order, citing two botched surgeries and attempts by Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky to cover up his mistakes.

The first case involved a patient identified as "G.D.," who was scheduled for surgery to remove his adrenal gland. However, Shaknovsky mistakenly removed a portion of the man’s pancreas, causing permanent damage. When confronted with the error, Shaknovsky claimed the adrenal gland had "migrated" within the patient’s body—an explanation the health department deemed "medically implausible."

The second case involved 70-year-old William Bryan, who underwent surgery for an abnormal spleen. According to the health department’s order, operating room staff had "expressed concerns that Dr. Shaknovsky did not have the skill level to safely perform this procedure." Shaknovsky arrived at the surgery an hour late, which further heightened staff concerns. 

During the operation, Shaknovsky "fired a stapling device blindly" into Bryan’s abdomen, causing complications. He then removed an organ he "believed" was the spleen, but it was later identified as Bryan’s liver. "The staff looked at the readily-identifiable liver on the table and were shocked when Dr. Shaknovsky told them it was a spleen," the order stated, with one staff member reportedly feeling "sick to their stomach."

The health department concluded that Shaknovsky’s failure to admit his errors reflected either a "lack of clinical understanding" or "lack of integrity." His actions, including falsifying medical records, led the department to believe that his "reckless conduct is likely to continue."

Bryan’s family plans to file a civil lawsuit after completing Florida’s required pre-litigation process for medical malpractice cases.