A Florida grand jury has indicted Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, on charges of second-degree manslaughter following the 2024 surgical death of an Alabama man. The indictment follows an investigation into a procedure where Shaknovsky allegedly removed the patient’s liver instead of his spleen, leading to immediate, fatal hemorrhaging.
Shaknovsky was taken into custody Monday morning in Miramar Beach and remains held at the Walton County Jail. His first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.
The charges stem from an August 21, 2024, procedure at Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Emerald Coast. The victim, 70-year-old Bill Bryan of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, was admitted for abdominal pain. Despite the patient’s initial desire to return home, investigators allege Shaknovsky pressured Bryan into undergoing a laparoscopic splenectomy.
During the operation, Shaknovsky removed the patient’s liver, claiming it was an enlarged spleen. The error caused “catastrophic blood loss,” and Bryan died on the operating table. Investigative filings reveal a harrowing scene: Shaknovsky allegedly continued the procedure even as Bryan went into cardiac arrest, failing to correctly identify the anatomy under his care.
The indictment is the culmination of a multi–year investigation into Shaknovsky’s medical history, which reveals a disturbing pattern of surgical errors:
- May 2023: Shaknovsky allegedly removed part of a patient’s pancreas during a routine adrenal gland surgery. Records show he settled a malpractice claim for this incident for $400,000 in 2024.
- July 2023: The board accused Shaknovsky of perforating a patient’s intestine during a procedure, resulting in that patient’s death.
- August 2024: The fatal misidentification of Bill Bryan’s liver.
Following Bryan’s death, Shaknovsky’s medical licenses were revoked or suspended in Alabama (2024), Florida (2024), and New York (2025).
Initial reports from Shaknovsky attributed Bryan’s death to a “ruptured splenic artery aneurysm.” However, an autopsy debunked this claim, finding the splenic artery intact. Furthermore, forensic examiners confirmed Bryan’s spleen remained “untouched and in the normal position,” while the liver was entirely missing.
The victim’s widow, Beverly Bryan, filed a civil complaint in 2025. “I still have trouble believing it happened myself,” she stated, noting that criminal charges are the only way to prevent further harm to the public.
Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Emerald Coast has not issued a fresh comment regarding the indictment. As of Tuesday, it remains unclear if Shaknovsky has retained legal counsel for the manslaughter charge.
