Doctor Removes Liver Instead of Spleen, Faces Charges

Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, was arrested on Monday, facing second-degree manslaughter charges. The charges stem from a fatal surgery in August 2024 where he allegedly removed a patient's liver instead of their spleen. This incident has concluded a two-year investigation by local and state law enforcement.

Dr. Shaknovsky, who holds medical licenses in Florida, Alabama, and New York, was taken into custody at the Walton County Jail. His medical licenses were suspended or surrendered before his arrest. The investigation began after a 70-year-old Alabama man died following the procedure.

During the surgery, operating room staff reportedly raised concerns about Dr. Shaknovsky's experience. The patient initially refused surgery but eventually consented to a laparoscopic splenectomy. The procedure, initiated late on August 21, 2024, quickly became chaotic, with staff noting complications and a misidentification of organs.

Evidence suggests a rushed and poorly documented conversion to an open procedure. Dr. Shaknovsky stated he attempted to control bleeding and removed an organ he believed was the spleen, later admitting he could not identify it. Operating room witnesses described a chaotic scene where Dr. Shaknovsky allegedly stapled a pulsing vessel before removing the liver.

Despite resuscitation efforts, the patient was pronounced dead. Dr. Shaknovsky's explanations for the patient's death and the misidentification were contested by the medical examiner and operating room staff. His medical history reveals prior incidents of patient harm, including removing a portion of a pancreas instead of an adrenal gland in a 2020 surgery, and another fatality in July 2023.

His licenses in Florida, Alabama, and New York have faced suspension or surrender due to these alleged errors. The Alabama Medical Licensure Commission noted he "may constitute an immediate danger to his patients and the public."