Topline: Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky faces felony charges in connection with the death of 70-year-old William Bryan.
Published: April 18, 2026 7:06 am ET
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Left: Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, Right: William Bryan (via Walton County Sheriff’s Office/Zarzaur Law)
TALLAHASSEE, FL — A Florida surgeon was arrested and indicted for manslaughter after authorities said he wrongly removed a patient’s liver instead of his spleen during a fatal procedure in August 2024.
Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, faces a charge of second-degree manslaughter following a grand jury indictment on April 13 in Tallahassee. The charges stem from the death of 70-year-old William Bryan of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, during a scheduled laparoscopic splenectomy, as reported by The Guardian.
Shaknovsky was taken into custody Monday morning in Miramar Beach and booked into the Walton County Jail. He was scheduled for a first court appearance April 14, as per CBS News.
According to a press statement from Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson, the surgical error led to catastrophic blood loss. Bryan died on the operating table at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital.
The grand jury heard testimony that Shaknovsky, of DeFuniak Springs, was meant to remove the patient’s spleen but removed the liver instead. Prosecutors said the surgeon was unable to identify the correct organ during the procedure.
Court filings and an emergency license suspension order from the Florida Department of Health alleged that Shaknovsky continued the operation after it became clear a mistake had occurred. The order was signed by Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo less than a month after the death.
Ladapo’s order stated that Shaknovsky told investigators he could not control an aneurysm that filled the patient’s chest cavity with blood. Shaknovsky reportedly said he decided to finish the removal while the patient was in cardiac arrest.
Attorneys from Zarzaur Law, representing Bryan’s family, alleged that Shaknovsky labeled the removed liver specimen as a spleen. The firm stated the surgeon told Bryan’s wife the organ was four times larger than normal and had moved to the other side of the body.
Bryan was a Navy veteran who had been married for 33 years. He was visiting a rental property in Okaloosa County when he began experiencing pain on his left side.
Lawyers for the family said Bryan was initially hesitant to have surgery in Florida. They said doctors persuaded him to stay by warning him of complications if he left the hospital.
The indictment followed an investigation by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the state attorney and state medical authorities. Adkinson said the grand jury found probable cause that Shaknovsky’s actions constituted criminal conduct.
“Our responsibility is to see that the charges are carried out through the legal process,” Adkinson said in the press release. He added that his thoughts remain with the family of the victim.
Shaknovsky also lost his medical licenses in Alabama and New York after the incident. No defense attorney was listed for him in initial court records.
If convicted of the second-degree felony, Shaknovsky faces a maximum of 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Florida Surgeon Indicted After Removing Wrong Organ, Killing Alabama Veteran
Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky faces felony charges in connection with the death of 70-year-old William Bryan.
By Kate Byrd
Published: April 18, 2026 7:06 am ET
Left: Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, Right: William Bryan (via Walton County Sheriff’s Office/Zarzaur Law)
TALLAHASSEE, FL — A Florida surgeon was arrested and indicted for manslaughter after authorities said he wrongly removed a patient’s liver instead of his spleen during a fatal procedure in August 2024.
Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, faces a charge of second-degree manslaughter following a grand jury indictment on April 13 in Tallahassee. The charges stem from the death of 70-year-old William Bryan of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, during a scheduled laparoscopic splenectomy, as reported by The Guardian.
Shaknovsky was taken into custody Monday morning in Miramar Beach and booked into the Walton County Jail. He was scheduled for a first court appearance April 14, as per CBS News.
According to a press statement from Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson, the surgical error led to catastrophic blood loss. Bryan died on the operating table at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital.
The grand jury heard testimony that Shaknovsky, of DeFuniak Springs, was meant to remove the patient’s spleen but removed the liver instead. Prosecutors said the surgeon was unable to identify the correct organ during the procedure.
Court filings and an emergency license suspension order from the Florida Department of Health alleged that Shaknovsky continued the operation after it became clear a mistake had occurred. The order was signed by Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo less than a month after the death.
Ladapo’s order stated that Shaknovsky told investigators he could not control an aneurysm that filled the patient’s chest cavity with blood. Shaknovsky reportedly said he decided to finish the removal while the patient was in cardiac arrest.
Attorneys from Zarzaur Law, representing Bryan’s family, alleged that Shaknovsky labeled the removed liver specimen as a spleen. The firm stated the surgeon told Bryan’s wife the organ was four times larger than normal and had moved to the other side of the body.
Bryan was a Navy veteran who had been married for 33 years. He was visiting a rental property in Okaloosa County when he began experiencing pain on his left side.
Lawyers for the family said Bryan was initially hesitant to have surgery in Florida. They said doctors persuaded him to stay by warning him of complications if he left the hospital.
The indictment followed an investigation by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the state attorney and state medical authorities. Adkinson said the grand jury found probable cause that Shaknovsky’s actions constituted criminal conduct.
“Our responsibility is to see that the charges are carried out through the legal process,” Adkinson said in the press release. He added that his thoughts remain with the family of the victim.
Shaknovsky also lost his medical licenses in Alabama and New York after the incident. No defense attorney was listed for him in initial court records.
If convicted of the second-degree felony, Shaknovsky faces a maximum of 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Florida Surgeon Indicted After Removing Wrong Organ, Killing Alabama Veteran
Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky faces felony charges in connection with the death of 70-year-old William Bryan.
By Kate Byrd
Published: April 18, 2026 7:06 am ET
Left: Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, Right: William Bryan (via Walton County Sheriff’s Office/Zarzaur Law)
TALLAHASSEE, FL — A Florida surgeon was arrested and indicted for manslaughter after authorities said he wrongly removed a patient’s liver instead of his spleen during a fatal procedure in August 2024.
Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, faces a charge of second-degree manslaughter following a grand jury indictment on April 13 in Tallahassee. The charges stem from the death of 70-year-old William Bryan of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, during a scheduled laparoscopic splenectomy, as reported by The Guardian.
Shaknovsky was taken into custody Monday morning in Miramar Beach and booked into the Walton County Jail. He was scheduled for a first court appearance April 14, as per CBS News.
According to a press statement from Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson, the surgical error led to catastrophic blood loss. Bryan died on the operating table at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital.
The grand jury heard testimony that Shaknovsky, of DeFuniak Springs, was meant to remove the patient’s spleen but removed the liver instead. Prosecutors said the surgeon was unable to identify the correct organ during the procedure.
Court filings and an emergency license suspension order from the Florida Department of Health alleged that Shaknovsky continued the operation after it became clear a mistake had occurred. The order was signed by Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo less than a month after the death.
Ladapo’s order stated that Shaknovsky told investigators he could not control an aneurysm that filled the patient’s chest cavity with blood. Shaknovsky reportedly said he decided to finish the removal while the patient was in cardiac arrest.
Attorneys from Zarzaur Law, representing Bryan’s family, alleged that Shaknovsky labeled the removed liver specimen as a spleen. The firm stated the surgeon told Bryan’s wife the organ was four times larger than normal and had moved to the other side of the body.
Bryan was a Navy veteran who had been married for 33 years. He was visiting a rental property in Okaloosa County when he began experiencing pain on his left side.
Lawyers for the family said Bryan was initially hesitant to have surgery in Florida. They said doctors persuaded him to stay by warning him of complications if he left the hospital.
The indictment followed an investigation by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the state attorney and state medical authorities. Adkinson said the grand jury found probable cause that Shaknovsky’s actions constituted criminal conduct.
“Our responsibility is to see that the charges are carried out through the legal process,” Adkinson said in the press release. He added that his thoughts remain with the family of the victim.
Shaknovsky also lost his medical licenses in Alabama and New York after the incident. No defense attorney was listed for him in initial court records.
If convicted of the second-degree felony, Shaknovsky faces a maximum of 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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