The Florida Department of Health has suspended the medical license of Dr. Thomas J. Shaknovsky, an osteopathic physician, following two separate incidents of wrong-site surgeries, one of which resulted in a patient’s death, according to the state.
- State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo issued an emergency suspension order on September 24, 2024, citing Dr. Shaknovsky as an “immediate, serious danger to the public health, safety, or welfare.”
The order details two cases involving alleged surgical errors. In May 2023, Dr. Shaknovsky reportedly removed a portion of a patient’s pancreas instead of the intended adrenal gland during an adrenalectomy. The patient suffered long-term, permanent harm as a result.
In the more recent case on August 21, 2024, Dr. Shaknovsky allegedly removed the entire liver of William Bryan, 70, during what was supposed to be a splenectomy at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Miramar Beach. Mr. Bryan, who was visiting from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, died during the procedure.
According to the order, Mr. Bryan had initially declined surgery and expressed wishes to return home to Alabama. However, Dr. Shaknovsky reportedly “pressured” him to proceed with the operation, citing declining hemoglobin levels.
- The order states that operating room staff were concerned about scheduling the complicated procedure late in the day with only a skeletal crew. They also expressed doubts about Dr. Shaknovsky’s skill level to safely perform the procedure.
During the surgery, Dr. Shaknovsky allegedly severed Mr. Bryan’s inferior vena cava, a major blood vessel, leading to catastrophic blood loss. The Order states that the surgeon then “blindly” used a stapling device in the abdomen and removed what he claimed was an enlarged spleen.
Dr. Shaknovsky reportedly documented in his operative report that he had removed Mr. Bryan’s spleen and claimed a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm caused significant bleeding. However, an autopsy revealed Mr. Bryan’s spleen was untouched, his liver was missing, and there was no evidence of a ruptured aneurysm.
The order states that Dr. Shaknovsky “created medical records that made deceptive, untrue, or fraudulent representations of what occurred during Patient W.B.’s surgery.” He allegedly told staff multiple times that the death was caused by a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm, which the autopsy disproved.
- Dr. Shaknovsky reportedly defended his actions by claiming that organs had “migrated” to unusual locations in the body. The Department of Health found this explanation implausible, noting that “spleens and livers are anatomically distinct, have different consistencies, and are different colors.”
The suspension order emphasizes that Dr. Shaknovsky’s “repeated egregious surgical errors resulting in significant patient harm coupled with his failure to take responsibility for these errors indicates that his reckless conduct is likely to continue.”
A formal disciplinary proceeding will be instituted promptly, according to the order. Dr. Shaknovsky has the right to judicial review of the suspension.
The Department of Health considered various restrictions on Dr. Shaknovsky’s practice but concluded that, due to the scope and severity of the issues, only a full suspension would adequately protect the public.
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