In this undated photo, Beverly and William Bryan are pictured. (Handout)
In Pensacola, Florida, a tragic medical error led to the death of a man, William Bryan, following a surgery where the wrong organ was removed. According to the man's lawyer, Bryan, 70, was admitted to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital to have his spleen removed. However, during the procedure, the surgeon mistakenly removed Bryan’s liver instead.
The error was discovered only after Bryan’s death. The lawyer’s statement reveals that Dr Shaknovsky, the surgeon, removed Bryan’s liver but labelled it as the spleen. This mistake led to severe bleeding and Bryan’s immediate death. It wasn’t until after the operation that it was realized the removed organ was the liver, not the spleen.
Dr. Shaknovsky reportedly told Bryan’s wife, Beverly Bryan, that the “spleen” was abnormally enlarged and had shifted positions in the body. The family was later informed that Bryan’s spleen was still inside his body and had a small cyst on it.
Beverly Bryan is now pursuing both criminal and civil actions against the hospital and the surgeons involved. She has expressed her deep frustration and grief, stating, “My husband died while helpless on the operating room table by Dr Shaknovsky. I don’t want anyone else to die due to his incompetence at a hospital that should have known or knew he had previously made drastic, life-altering surgical mistakes.”
The doctors named in this incident include Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, the general surgeon, and Dr. Christopher Bacani, the Chief Medical Officer.
