Home / Crime and Justice / Surgeon accidentally removes patient's liver instead of spleen
Surgeon accidentally removes patient's liver instead of spleen
8 May
Summary
- A surgeon allegedly removed a patient's liver during spleen removal surgery.
- The surgical error led to immediate and catastrophic blood loss, resulting in death.
- The doctor faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of manslaughter.
Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, faces serious charges after an alleged surgical error on August 21, 2026. During a planned laparoscopic splenectomy for patient William Bryan, 70, Dr. Shaknovsky reportedly removed the patient's liver instead of the spleen.
The alleged mix-up resulted in immediate and catastrophic blood loss, leading to Mr. Bryan's death. Investigators claim Dr. Shaknovsky switched to a riskier open surgery due to poor visibility and inadvertently caused hemorrhaging by damaging vessels around the liver.
Court documents indicate that the organ was labeled as the spleen, and the error was only discovered after Mr. Bryan's death. Dr. Shaknovsky is accused of attempting to conceal the mistake by misinforming the patient's wife about the spleen's condition.
Dr. Shaknovsky lost his medical license and was arrested recently while working as a Lyft driver. He has been charged with second-degree manslaughter and could face up to 15 years in prison. This incident follows a prior malpractice suit, which was settled, concerning the death of another patient.
