Florida
Florida doctor accused of fatally removing wrong organ from patient has license suspended
A Florida doctor who is accused of removing an Alabama man’s liver instead of the spleen, resulting in “immediate and catastrophic death,” had his medical license suspended.
In an emergency order filed Sept. 24, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo accused Thomas J. Shakvovksy of “repeated egregious surgical errors” and “egregious conduct of fabricating medical records” in the Aug. 21 death of 70-year-old William Bryan.
Shakvovksy was a practicing Osteopathic Physician at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital before the tragedy.
Bryan and his wife Beverly were visiting the Florida panhandle from their home in Muscle Shoals, Ala. when he began experiencing lower left abdominal pain.
The couple went to the hospital in Miramar Beach — which is between Pensacola and Panama City — where doctors were concerned about an abnormality of the spleen and they admitted him for further testing as Bryan declined “surgical intervention.”
Imaging revealed a suspected enlarged spleen and blood in the peritoneum with no active hemorrhage, according to the document.
Shaknovsky allegedly recommended that Bryan undergo a laparoscopic splenectomy on three consecutive days, with the patient refusing and wishing to go back to Alabama, but the doctor persisted, according to the order of emergency suspension viewed by The Post.
Bryan eventually relented to the doctor’s request who cited a decline in hemoglobin, but the order noted the decrease was only marginal over the three-day hospital stay.
Shaknovsky scheduled the “complicated procedure” for 4 p.m. on Aug. 21, with the operating room staff noting the surgery was being done by a “skeletal staff,” and the doctor couldn’t operate.
“Staff had concerns that Dr. Shaknovsky did not have the skill level to safely perform this procedure,” the surgeon general’s order noted.
The operation began but Shaknovsky quickly elected to convert to an open procedure citing poor visibility due to Bryan’s “distended colon and blood in the abdomen.”
It was revealed that Shaknovsky did not document the colon as part of his decision to change surgeries.
The doctor claims he started to dissect ligaments attached to the spleen, but was revealed to be the liver.
He then found and identified a vessel he intended to cut, claiming he could feel it pulsing under his finger, saying, “that’s scary.”
Shaknovsky used a surgical stapling device to fire a staple into the vessel resulting in a severe hemorrhage where Bryan went into cardiac arrest.
Staff began suctioning out blood and performing an emergency blood transfusion as a “code” was called and operating staff began CPR.
While staff worked to revive Bryan, Shaknovsky continued dissecting inside the abdomen, not asking for assistance where he removed a 4.6-pound liver.
“The staff looked at the readily identifiable liver on the table and were shocked when Dr. Shaknovsky told them it was the spleen. One staff member ‘felt sick to their stomach,’” a witness in the operating room said.
Bryan was pronounced dead as Shaknovsky said he died of a splenic artery aneurysm.
The doctor allegedly requested staff to label the liver as a “spleen” and send it to pathology.
The person who labeled the organ knew it wasn’t a spleen but followed instructions anyway, the order reported.
Shaknovsky left the operating room, only to return three times, with each visit the doctor stating Bryan died because of a splenic artery aneurysm
“The staff in the room felt that Dr. Shaknovsky was attempting to convince them that this is what occurred, even though they witnessed something different.”
Ladapo found Bryan’s death was not because of one mistake Shaknovsky made.
“Dr. Shaknovsky’s misidentification of the liver was not a momentary mistake,” the order found. “Despite converting to an open procedure to increase visibility, he dissected the liver, cutting the individual attachments to the abdomen.
“Each attachment that was severed was another opportunity for Dr. Shaknovsky to recognize that he was handling the completely wrong organ due to the anatomical differences between spleens and livers,”
“Despite having ample opportunity to realize his mistake and keep looking for the spleen, Dr. Shaknovsky failed to do so.”
Ladapo argued that any restriction of protecting the public must also include “complete restriction from performing general surgery.”
“Dr. Shaknovsky’s blatant disregard for the truth, falsification of an operative report, and attempt to convince OR staff to acquiesce to his version of events is a breach of the public trust. Dr. Shaknovsky’s dishonesty cannot be contained to only operative reports; it colors every aspect of the practice of osteopathic medicine.
The public must be able to trust that Dr. Shaknovsky’s description of patient care, whether that is in an emergency room, clinic, or primary care practice, is true. That trust is irrevocably broken. Therefore, there is no restriction that can adequately protect the public from an osteopathic physician who is willing to lie and pressure others to lie on their behalf,” the order stated.
The order also included a surgery from May 2023 where Shaknovsky removed a portion of a patient’s pancreas instead of the left adrenal gland resulting in “long-term, permanent harm.”
Bryan’s death was ruled a homicide due to “liver removed during splenectomy,” Zarzaur Law P.A., the family’s lawyers said on Facebook.
“This news is devastating for the healthcare industry, as the operating room is meant to be a place of the highest level of patient care,” the law firm wrote.
Bryan’s family is expected to file a malpractice lawsuit at the appropriate time.
Florida
Florida Gators Put Nation on Notice with Ole Miss Win
It’s been a good couple weeks for the Florida Gators.
First, they take down No. 22 LSU, 27-16, with a bend but don’t break approach. Then, they follow that up by upsetting No. 9 Ole Miss, 24-17. With that latter win, heads really began to turn. It was one thing to put up fights against Tennessee and Georgia, but now, they’re beginning to take down these formidable opponents.
The analysts are starting to talk them up. ESPN’s College Gameday analyst Kirk Herbstreit is ready to hand head coach Billy Napier the award for coach of the year. He made sure to include that he thinks quarterback DJ Lagway is going to be something special.
“Can a guy with a team that will finish 7-5 win the coach of the year award? He should!!” Herbstreit said in a tweet. “Billy Napier and [the Florida Gators, after being 4-5 and losing two straight, have beaten LSU and Ole Miss. So impressive to see this fight from the Gators and their fans after having a tough year. And, oh yeah, DJ Lagway is the REAL DEAL!”
Big Cat from Barstool Sports jumped on X (formerly Twitter) and said, “The Florida Gators may need a playoff berth.”
Now, that can be written off as two guys getting excited, but key writers are noticing too. Florida received votes in the latest AP Poll.
Brian Brian Fonesca of the NJ.com/Star-Ledger and Ian Kress of WLNS-TV (a CBS affiliate in Lansing, Michigan) ranked them No. 25. David Paschall of the Chattanooga Times Free Press ranked them No. 24. It’s only four points, but they’re the only five-loss team to receive votes.
Unofficially, they’re ranked No. 33 in the country. If they had beaten Tennessee or Georgia to have that slightly better 7-4 record, could very well be in the top 25 right now. It’s hard to vote for a 6-5 team, that’s totally fair, but the willingness to do so by a handful of writers is a good starting point. If they win out, including a quality bowl win, to finish 8-5, finishing ranked is realistic.
Those who are signing on now are seeing what could be on the horizon in 2025. This is how they are playing now. This team might have won eight or nine games had this been yearlong. Wait until they play the portal some more this summer to bring in more talent, Napier gets that offensive coordinator and Lagway comes in with nearly a year of play under his belt.
The Florida Gators have put the country on notice. They gave Napier the time to rebuild after Dan Mullen’s collapse, and that time is beginning to pay off.
Florida
Florida shows it can finish with another second-half closeout and a makeshift dunk contest
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida players eager to celebrate their latest victory, the one that made them bowl eligible for the first time in two years, found a suitable prop on the sideline.
Ole Miss left behind its basketball hoop, which the Rebels use to salute big plays during games.
The Gators set it up, grabbed some footballs and held their own dunk contest near the end zone. It provided an apt stage — perfect for showcasing finishing moves — after they closed out another ranked opponent.
Florida (6-5, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) dominated the second half for the second consecutive week and got to party in the Swamp following a 24-17 victory over then-ninth-ranked Mississippi on Saturday.
Not only did the Gators knock the Rebels (8-3, 4-3) out of the College Football Playoff picture, they won their fourth consecutive home game and raised expectations for coach Billy Napier’s fourth season in Gainesville.
And the manner in which they accomplished it mattered. Napier has been preaching about “finishing,” something that had mostly eluded the Gators in the past two years.
Florida lost four games in 2023 after leading in the second half, including three — against Arkansas, Missouri and Florida State — in the fourth quarter.
And no one following the program has forgotten how close the Gators were to upsetting Tennessee and Georgia earlier this season, losing 23-17 to the Volunteers in overtime and fading against the Bulldogs after being tied at 20 with five minutes to play.
Napier hoped all those gut punches would ultimately lead to something better, and they finally did — with late-game knockouts against LSU and Mississippi.
“Eventually you get sick of that,” receiver Chimere Dike said. “To be able to get these last two wins is huge for our team and our program. I’m proud of the resilience the guys showed, the way that we performed.”
Florida held Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s high-scoring offense to three points in the second half. The Rebels turned the ball over twice — interceptions by Bryce Thornton on the final two drives — punted twice and got stuffed on another fourth-down run.
“I thought we were better on both sides up front, and short-yardage defense is a big component,” Napier said. “Those are identity plays. I think we had guys step up and make plays.”
Added defensive tackle Cam Jackson said: “Everybody just pinned their ears back. That was great.”
It was reminiscent of the previous week against then-No. 21 LSU. Florida held the Tigers to six points in the second half and forced a fumble, a punt and a turnover on downs in a 27-16 victory.
“We just all came together and wanted to change how Florida was looked at,” Thornton said. “That’s the biggest thing with us, just trying to show everybody that we can do it.”
The Gators ended the afternoon showing off their basketball moves.
Cornerback Trikweze Bridges, receiver Marcus Burke, defensive end Justus Boone, tight end Tony Livingston and linebacker Shemar James delivered monster dunks. Aidan Mizell passed a football between his leg in midair before his slam, and fellow receiver Elijhah Badger bounced it off the backboard before rousing teammates and fans with his finish.
“Belief is the most powerful thing in the world,” Napier said. “At some point there, midseason, we figured (that) out and we started to believe. Look, we can play with any team in the country.”
Florida
South Florida 11 p.m. Weather Forecast 11/23/2024
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