Florida
Doctor accused of fatally removing patient’s wrong organ indicted
Family of dead Alabama man claims surgeon removed wrong organ
The family of Alabama man William Bryan claims that he died after his liver was mistakenly removed from his body during surgery at a Florida hospital.
unbranded – Newsworthy
PENSACOLA, FL — A Florida doctor has been indicted in connection with the death of a 70-year-old man who had his liver wrongly removed instead of his spleen during an August 2024 medical procedure at a hospital, authorities said.
Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, was indicted on a second-degree manslaughter charge by a grand jury in Walton County, Florida, on Monday, April 13, according to the county sheriff’s office and the Office of the State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit. He was arrested on the morning of April 13 and later released on a $75,000 bond, online inmate records show.
In a news release, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said the grand jury indictment connected Shaknovsky to the “operating room death of an Alabama man.” William Bryan, of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and his wife, Beverly, were visiting their rental property in Okaloosa County when William Bryan suddenly began experiencing left-sided flank pain, according to the family’s attorney.
They went to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Walton County, and he was admitted for further studies pursuant to concern for an abnormality of the spleen. The sheriff’s office said Shaknovsky had removed William Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen during what was scheduled to be a laparoscopic splenectomy, “resulting in catastrophic blood loss and the patient’s death on the operating table.”
The grand jury indictment follows an extensive investigation conducted by the sheriff’s office, the Office of the State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit, and other state and medical authorities, according to the news release. The sheriff’s office said the jury found probable cause to “charge that the actions taken in the operating room constituted criminal conduct” under state law.
“Our duty is to follow the facts wherever they lead, without fear or favor,” Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in a statement. “The Grand Jury has spoken, and our responsibility is to ensure the charges are carried out through the proper legal process. Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family and their unspeakable loss.”
Medical examiner found spleen still in William Bryan’s body during autopsy
A Pensacola law firm, Zarzaur Law P.A., is pursuing a civil lawsuit on behalf of William Bryan’s family, citing wrongful death, medical malpractice, and personal injury.
William Bryan began suffering “severe abdominal pain” while on vacation with his wife in August 2024, according to Joe Zarzaur, the Bryan family’s attorney. Shaknovsky, who was a surgeon at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital at the time, had diagnosed William Bryan with hemoperitoneum and splenic injury, or bleeding of the spleen, an operative report states.
William Bryan initially elected to hold off on surgery until they got back to their home in Alabama, but Beverly Bryan said Shaknovsky told her husband would bleed to death if he traveled in his condition, according to Zarzaur. Shaknovsky performed the procedure after discussing the “risks, benefits and alternatives” with the couple, the operative report states.
During the procedure on Aug. 21, 2024, William Bryan died from massive blood loss after the removal of the “large” spleen, according to the operative report. After the procedure, a pathologist realized the removed organ labeled “spleen” was actually liver tissue, Zarzaur said.
Once an autopsy was done, the medical examiner determined William Bryan’s liver had been removed, and his spleen was still in his body with a cyst attached to it, according to Zarzaur.
“The spleen had a small cyst on it that had some hemorrhage around it, but it was not a fatal issue,” Zarzaur said. “It was a fairly routine-looking cyst. It probably would have been very treatable.”
Thomas Shaknovsky involved in 2023 surgical mishap
In September 2024, the Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo ordered an emergency suspension of Shaknovsky’s license. Ladapo had cited William Bryan’s death and a prior incident in 2023, in which Shaknovsky removed a portion of a different patient’s pancreas instead of the adrenal gland and purportedly claimed the adrenal gland had “migrated” to a different part of the body.
The 2023 case was settled, and no lawsuit was filed against the surgeon or Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital, according to Zarzaur. State records show that Shaknovsky paid $400,000 in 2024 to settle a medical malpractice claim.
“That one got swept under the rug,” Zarzaur said at a news conference in September 2024 while announcing the case. “Here we are in a case after that.”
The Florida Department of Health lists Shaknovsky’s current medical license status as “retired.” The department defines retired status as the licensed practitioner “not practicing in the state of Florida, but maintains a retired license status.”
“The licensed practitioner is not authorized to practice in the state of Florida,” according to the state health department. “The practitioner is not obligated to update his/her profile data.”
Contributing: Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY
Florida
Deadly July 4th shooting arrest; South Florida man accused of Miami stabbing attack
Florida
South Florida’s top deals: Davie school building sells for $16M
🏆 Residential: The top home sale to hit records was in Pinecrest, where a home at 5865 Southwest 96th Street changed hands for $7.8 million. The sellers were Luis and Liz Messianu, who purchased the 7,800-square-foot property in 2024 for $7.3 million. The buyer was Bunny S Sunshine Haven LLC. The home went on the market in February for $8.2 million. Judith and Nathan Zeder with Coldwell Banker Realty had the listing, and Dennis Carvajal with One Sotheby’s International Realty brought the buyer.
🏆 Commercial: The most expensive recorded commercial deal was in Davie, where a school building sold for $16 million at 3367 North University Drive. The seller was 3367 N University Holdings LLC; the buyer was JSI N University LLC. The building measures about 46,000 square feet.
📊 Residential: Matthew and Nadia Weaver purchased a newly built home at 299 Northeast Seventh Street in Boca Raton for $6.8 million. The seller was a company managed by Marco Capoccia. Built this year, the home measures 5,800 square feet and has five bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms. The sale breaks down to about $1,200 per square foot. Jacqueline Feldman with One Sotheby’s International Realty represented both sides of the transaction.
If you like this digest, you can get it even earlier — every evening — by subscribing to TRD Data, here.
Florida
Why the Red Sox are sending Roman Anthony to Florida (and to another doctor) – The Boston Globe
ANAHEIM, Calif. — In sending Roman Anthony to Fort Myers, Fla., to continue his injury rehabilitation, the Red Sox have assigned him one blunt goal: Make it back to Boston.
The geographic reassignment is “a very good opportunity,” interim manager Chad Tracy said, for Anthony to not have to deal with much other than figuring out a way to return from a partially torn ligament in his right ring finger, which continues to impact his hand/wrist — and, thus, his ability to swing a bat.
“His focus, a singular focus now, is if you’re in Florida, it’s to get yourself healthy and not have to deal with all the other stuff that goes with it,” Tracy said before Sunday night’s series finale against the Angels. “So it’s a singular focus, very focused on getting himself healthy and getting back to us.
“We want him. We want him in the lineup. So I’m going to keep in touch with him frequently and see how he’s doing, with the hope that we get him back.”
And “other stuff” refers to what?
“Just the day-to-day of being at Fenway,” Tracy said. “He’s going to get asked questions about it constantly. And for him being there, his focus is on one thing right now: That’s get yourself healthy.”
When Tracy first mentioned Saturday that the Sox decided Anthony would be based out of their Fenway South spring training/minor league facility indefinitely, he presented it as logistical. The home clubhouse at Fenway had grown crowded because of the number of injured players, he said, so moving Anthony was a way to open space — as the Sox had done with a handful of pitchers previously.
On Sunday, Tracy added: “It’s also a very good opportunity for him to go and get away from” the “other stuff.”
Anthony has been out since May 4, when he got hurt on a seemingly random swing.
Nine weeks later, he has not resumed a hitting program as he and the Sox navigate the highly unusual baseball injury.
This week, Anthony will visit a new doctor: Gary Lourie in Atlanta. Lourie is a hand specialist, the Braves’ head team physician, and a partner at The Hand & Upper Extremity Center of Georgia.
“Just for peace of mind,” Tracy said. “I expect we’re going to be in a good spot. But really just about getting him in a spot where he can focus each day on just pounding away at getting that hand healthy.”
Casas set back again
The latest in the plight of Triston Casas: He has suffered from a wrist issue in recent days, Tracy said, so he is shut down from hitting again.
The Red Sox will “check on that” before letting Casas resume anything bat-related, per Tracy.
For Casas, 26, it is another in a string of injuries. He hasn’t played since having knee surgery 14 months ago, and for the past three months he had been trying to return from an abdominal issue.
“He’s gone through a lot,” Tracy said. “Between the knee, he had a little hamstring flareup, obviously the oblique, and then he’s coming back from that, and now there’s a wrist that’s popped up.
“So, just dealing with different things. Having not played in a while, things have popped up. So we’ll keep an eye on him, and once he’s able to, keep progressing as we can.”
Early update
Connelly Early’s second opinion, also this week, will be with Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, the team said. Meister is a leading orthopedic and sports medicine surgeon who specializes in elbow problems.
Following his early exit Tuesday, Early got an MRI and was diagnosed with posterior elbow inflammation but no structural damage, the Red Sox said Wednesday.
Singling out Seigler
Anthony Seigler batted leadoff for the fourth time in five games. Tracy called him “a logical choice for it” because of his ability to swing at strikes, not swing at balls, and work lengthy at-bats. “He puts the bat on the ball,” Tracy said, “and help hopefully get the game started off right for us” … Masataka Yoshida was the DH, just his second start in a stretch of seven games (amid a run of the Sox facing more lefthanded starters than usual) … The Sox’ next rotation decision is Thursday. They could go with Sonny Gray (on turn), Patrick Sandoval (for his long-awaited team debut), or somebody else against the White Sox.
Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com. Follow him @timbhealey.
-
Idaho6 minutes agoIdaho mother who said her toddlers died after vaccinations accused of suffocating them, charged with murder | CNN
-
Illinois9 minutes agoMotorcyclist killed in Mundelein crash, police say
-
Indiana14 minutes agoWhat made the early days of Indiana high school basketball standout?
-
Iowa21 minutes agoJulien Dubuque Bridge fully closed until August, free shuttle offered
-
Kansas24 minutes agoPolice searching for missing Kansas teen in Dauphin County
-
Kentucky29 minutes agoSecretary of State launches statewide Kentucky Time Capsule Project commemorating America's 250th
-
Louisiana36 minutes ago
Louisiana Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for July 6, 2026
-
Maine39 minutes agoPACs should ease up on the political propaganda in Maine | Letter