Doctor Indicted After Allegedly Removing Liver Instead Of Spleen In Fatal Surgery

A Florida expert has been indicted successful relationship pinch nan decease of a 70-year-old man aft allegedly removing nan incorrect organ during surgery.

Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, was indicted by a expansive assemblage pinch second-degree manslaughter successful nan August 2024 decease of a 70-year-old man from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, nan Office of nan State Attorney for nan First Judicial Circuit said Tuesday.

He was taken into custody successful Miramar Beach, Florida, connected Monday greeting and transported to nan Walton County Jail up of his tribunal quality Tuesday.

Prosecutors allege successful a property merchandise that connected Aug. 21, 2024, during what was scheduled to beryllium a laparoscopic splenectomy, Shaknovsky accidentally removed nan unnamed victim's liver alternatively of his spleen. The move resulted successful "catastrophic humor nonaccomplishment and nan patient’s decease connected nan operating table," nan property merchandise said.

After nan surgery, nan Alabama Board of Medical Examiners revenge a tribunal bid to temporarily suspend Shaknovsky's aesculapian license. That licence was revoked by nan Alabama Medical Licensure Commission that aforesaid year.

His Florida licence was besides suspended successful 2024.

The tribunal bid to suspend his licence states that Shaknovsky recommended room aft nan 70-year-old diligent came into nan infirmary pinch complaints of abdominal pain, and imaging "revealed a suspected enlarged spleen and humor successful nan peritoneum pinch nary progressive hemorrhage."

For nan adjacent 2 days, Shaknovsky advised nan patient, who wanted to return location to Alabama, to get surgery, nan filing says. On nan 3rd day, Shaknovsky "continued to pressure" nan patient, who past acquiesced, according to nan filing.

Shaknovsky continued nan cognition moreover while nan diligent went into cardiac apprehension during nan surgery, according to nan filing.

"Dr. Shaknovsky removed an organ he believed to beryllium nan spleen, but owed to his daze and nan chaos, he was incapable to decently place nan organ," nan filing states.

After nan surgery, nan expert said that nan diligent died of a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm, nan filing states.

An autopsy recovered "no grounds of a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm," according to nan filing. And while nan patient's "spleen and its attachments were untouched and successful nan normal position, his liver was missing," nan filing alleged.

The filing besides accused Shaknovsky of 2 different instances of malpractice, 1 of which nan committee alleges led to nan decease of different patient.

The committee accused Shaknovsky of removing portion of a patient's pancreas during a regular room successful May 2023, wherever nan diligent was expected to person their near adrenal gland removed.

It besides accused Shaknovsky of removing portion of a patient's intestine during different process successful July 2023, causing a gastrointestinal perforation, wherever a spread develops successful nan intestine. Shortly aft nan surgery, nan diligent was moved to nan ICU and died, nan filing states.

It is unclear whether Shaknovsky has retained an attorney. The State Attorney’s Office of nan First Judicial Circuit did not instantly return a petition for comment.