Full Breakdown
Wrong-Site Surgery Leads to Patient Death and Manslaughter Indictment
5/8/2026, 6:03:36 AM
Background & Context
In August 2024, 70-year-old veteran William Bryan traveled from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach, Florida, for an urgent splenectomy. Surgeon Thomas Shaknovsky performed the operation. The hospital later clarified that Shaknovsky was not a direct employee of the health system and has not practiced at any of its facilities since the August case.
Timeline of Key Events
- August 2024 – Bryan’s operation; intra-operative bleeding and an enlarged colon obscure the surgical field.
- November 2024 – Shaknovsky gives an eight-hour deposition (?400 pages) describing the procedure and his emotional response.
- April 13 2025 – Walton County Sheriff’s Office arrests Shaknovsky while he was driving for Lyft.
- May 2025 – A grand jury indicts Shaknovsky on a manslaughter charge; he enters a not-guilty plea.
- 2025-2026 – Widow Beverly Bryan files a civil lawsuit naming Shaknovsky and his former private practice as defendants.
Data & Statistics
- The medical examiner’s death certificate lists “exsanguination” and “surgical removal of the liver” as causes of death.
- Florida law permits a manslaughter conviction carrying up to 15 years imprisonment.
Why It Matters
The case underscores the potential for catastrophic outcomes when intra-operative visibility is compromised, and it raises questions about credentialing, oversight of independent surgeons, and patient-safety protocols in ambulatory surgical settings.
Official Statements & Responses
- Hospital spokesperson: “Shaknovsky was not employed directly by the health system and has not practiced at any of its facilities since August 2024. Safety remains our top priority.”
- Bryan’s civil-case attorney: The lawsuit alleges negligence but denies intentional wrongdoing.
- Medical examiner: Confirmed death by massive blood loss and removal of the liver.
- Walton County Sheriff’s Office: Executed the arrest on April 13; no comment on pending charges.
Criticism & Opposition
- Beverly Bryan: Pursues civil action, describing the error as “devastating” and demanding accountability.
- Son of a second patient who died after Shaknovsky’s care: “It’s just not right.”
- Prosecutors have not released a detailed procedural timeline, prompting calls for greater transparency.
Verbatim Quotes
- “That was an incredibly unfortunate event that I regret deeply, and I’m forever traumatized by it and hurt by it,” — Thomas Shaknovsky, deposition
- “It’s a devastating thing, which I will have to live with the rest of my life.” — Thomas Shaknovsky, deposition
- “It was like a overflown sink that’s clogged up, and I am looking for a fork at the bottom, trying to feel and find the bleed, and I was not able to do so,” — Thomas Shaknovsky, deposition
- “After 20 minutes of struggling, desperately trying to save his life, that’s when the wrong-site event took place.” — Thomas Shaknovsky, deposition
- “and I think about it every single day.” — Thomas Shaknovsky, deposition
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
What’s Next
Shaknovsky’s criminal case proceeds to trial, where a manslaughter conviction could result in up to fifteen years’ imprisonment. Simultaneously, the civil suit seeks monetary damages and systemic reforms to prevent future wrong-site surgeries in Florida’s outpatient facilities.
