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Florida surgeon who removed wrong organ says he is ‘forever traumatized’ by patient’s death

Nbcwashington · · 1193 words · By Elizabeth Chuck; Matt Lavietes; NBC News
Legal Accountability Professional Negligence Medical Malpractice
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/florida-surgeon-remove…

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Appeal to Pity 70% confidence
Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

17 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 7
check_circle Corroborated 5
info Single Source 3
verified Verified By Reference 2
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“Florida surgeon Thomas Shaknovsky faced the same question again and again: Why did he remove a man’s liver instead of his spleen?”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that surgeon Thomas Shaknovsky removed a patient's liver instead of their spleen.
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web search NEUTRAL — Thomas runs on the Fat Controller 's North Western Railway on the Island of Sodor. He became the most popular character in the series, and is the titular protagonist in the accompanying television ser…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Tank_Engine
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web search NEUTRAL — Based on The Railway Series books by Wilbert and Christopher Awdry, the series was developed for television by Britt Allcroft. The series centers on various anthropomorphic steam locomotives as well a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_&_Friends
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web search NEUTRAL — Oct 24, 2019 · Thomas often gets into trouble, but never gives up on trying to be a really useful engine. Other members of Sir Topham Hatt's Railway include: Percy (Thomas' best friend), and Gordon (t…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUNZhBwJkKU
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“The disastrous August 2024 surgical error and death of Shaknovsky’s patient, 70-year-old William Bryan, on the operating table prompted Bryan’s widow to file a lawsuit last year”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources confirm 70-year-old William Bryan died on the operating table in August 2024 due to a surgical error by Shaknovsky.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Bryan Thomas Sr (born June 7, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New York Je…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Thomas_(American_footbal…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Thomas Barbour Bryan (December 22, 1828 – January 26, 1906) was an American businessman, lawyer, and politician. Born in Virginia, a member of the prestigious Barbour family on his mother's side, Brya…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Barbour_Bryan
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times as the party's nominee for …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Jennings_Bryan
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“a grand jury to indict Shaknovsky on a manslaughter charge last month.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent news sources (The Guardian, Ars Technica, and another report) confirm the grand jury indictment of Shaknovsky on manslaughter charges.
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web search NEUTRAL — A Florida grand jury has indicted surgeon Thomas Shaknovsky on charges of second-degree manslaughter for the 2024 death of a patient whose surgical procedure was horrifyingly botched.
https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/04/florida-surgeon-charg…
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web search NEUTRAL — Grand jury brings manslaughter charge over fatal 2024 operation where patient died on table.Thomas Shaknovsky was indicted on Monday in Tallahassee after prosecutors said he botched the surgery of 70-…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/14/florida-surg…
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web search NEUTRAL — Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky tried to persuade his colleagues in the operating room that the liver he removed from a 70-year-old patient was a spleen, according to Florida’s Health Department.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/us/florida-surgeon-mansla…
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“He has pleaded not guilty.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the indictment is corroborated, the specific detail of the 'not guilty' plea is not explicitly stated in the provided evidence snippets, though the charges are confirmed.
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web search NEUTRAL — Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky tried to persuade his colleagues in the operating room that the liver he removed from a 70-year-old patient was a spleen, according to Florida’s Health Department.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/us/florida-surgeon-mansla…
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web search NEUTRAL — The prosecutor for the First Judicial Circuit on Monday announced the charge of second-degree manslaughter against Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky. Thomas Shaknovsky was indicted after allegedly removing the wr…
https://www.wbrc.com/2026/04/14/florida-doctor-faces-manslau…
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web search NEUTRAL — Shaknovsky insisted that the liver be labeled as a spleen and returned to the OR three times that evening to try to convince staff that it was a spleen. A pathology report of the so-called spleen desc…
https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/04/florida-surgeon-charg…
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“Shaknovsky then instructed a nurse to label the organ he removed as a spleen”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources report that Shaknovsky instructed the organ to be labeled as a spleen despite it being the liver.
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web search NEUTRAL — Shaknovsky then instructed a nurse to label the organ he removed as a spleen — which typically weighs less than 15% of a liver. “I can’t explain to you what it’s like for a surgeon to lose a patient o…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/florida-surgeon-removed-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Worse still, he instructed that it be labeled as a spleen before being sent to pathology.In August 2024, during a scheduled splenectomy (a surgical procedure to remove the spleen), Surgeon A mistakenl…
https://mindingthecampus.org/2025/02/28/surgeon-kills-patien…
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web search NEUTRAL — During the surgery, Shaknovsky mistakenly removed Bryan's liver by cutting through the major blood vessels that supply it.Following the mistake, the general surgeon labeled the removed liver as a "spl…
https://www.ibtimes.sg/who-thomas-shaknovsky-florida-doctor-…
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“A medical examiner determined Bryan died of “exsanguination,” or bleeding to death, and “surgical removal of the liver,” according to his death certificate.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim mentions a death certificate listing 'exsanguination' and 'surgical removal of the liver'. While one source mentions catastrophic internal bleeding, the specific wording of the death certificate is not corroborated by multiple independent sources in the provided text.
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web search NEUTRAL — According to investigators, the removal of the liver caused catastrophic internal bleeding and immediate physiological collapse. Despite emergency efforts by the surgical team, the patient could not b…
https://bdesk.news/florida-doctor-removed-liver-instead-of-s…
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web search NEUTRAL — His death certificate lists the cause of death as myocardial infarction secondary to coronary artery disease.The official of death is listed as "exsanguination due to a laceration of the scalp. "
https://www.autopsyfiles.org/deathcert.htm
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web search NEUTRAL — The actual cause of death is often heart arrhythmia—disruption of the normal heart rhythm, in other words. Even small heart attacks can play havoc with the electrical impulses that control heart muscl…
https://listverse.com/2007/10/15/10-methods-of-death/
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“The lawsuit also names Shaknovsky’s former private practice as a defendant.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One source explicitly mentions Beverly Bryan filed suit against Shaknovsky and the hospital; however, the specific detail about the 'former private practice' as a defendant is not corroborated by a second independent source in the provided text.
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web search NEUTRAL — Beverly Bryan, who was married to 70-year-old William Bryan, filed suit in Florida state court Thursday against surgeon Thomas Shaknovsky and the Florida hospital where Bryan's botched surgery occurre…
https://lawandcrime.com/lawsuit/looked-at-him-like-he-was-cr…
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web search NEUTRAL — Dr Thomas Shaknovsky entered the chapel and explained to Beverly that her husband had suffered a ruptured artery during an unexpected complication. His spleen, the surgeon told her, was diseased and f…
https://www.dailymail.com/crime-desk/article-15756843/doctor…
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web search NEUTRAL — Bryan underwent surgery to have his spleen removed, but Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky allegedly removed Bryan’s liver instead. Following the surgery, Zarzaur alleges hospital staff attempted to hide Shaknovsk…
https://www.wkrg.com/northwest-florida/lawsuit-filed-against…
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“Bryan, a veteran from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, had been visiting Florida with his wife”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm William Bryan was a 70-year-old resident/veteran from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Michael Jason Isbell ( IZ-bəl; born February 1, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter. Considered one of the best contemporary songwriters in his genre, he is known for his honest, emotional lyrics. …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Isbell
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — John Paul White (born August 4, 1972) is an American musician and former member of the Grammy Award-winning duo the Civil Wars. He restarted his solo career with his 2016 release, Beulah.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Paul_White
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of North Alabama (UNA) is a public university in Florence, Alabama, United States. It is the state's oldest university. Occupying a 130-acre (0.5 km2) campus in a residential section of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_North_Alabama
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“The couple went to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach, where, according to the lawsuit, Shaknovsky convinced them that Bryan urgently needed a splenectomy”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia confirms the existence and location of Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach, Florida.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Emerald Coast is a 76-bed hospital located in Miramar Beach, Florida. It opened in January of 2003. It is part of the Ascension hospital system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascension_Sacred_Heart_Hospita…
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“A spokesperson for Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast... said in a statement last month that Shaknovsky was not employed directly by the health system and that he has not practiced at any of its facilities since August 2024.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided Wikipedia entry for the hospital confirms its existence and location but does not contain the statement from a spokesperson regarding Shaknovsky's employment status.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Emerald Coast is a 76-bed hospital located in Miramar Beach, Florida. It opened in January of 2003. It is part of the Ascension hospital system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascension_Sacred_Heart_Hospita…
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“Beverly Bryan’s lawsuit says the medical examiner later told her that Bryan’s spleen was anatomically “nearly normal.””
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“In May 2023, he was alleged to have removed part of a patient’s pancreas instead of his adrenal gland, according to a claim with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.”
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“The patient survived, and the case was settled out of court.”
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“Months later, Shaknovsky was alleged to have failed to recognize signs of sepsis after abdominal surgery, leading to a woman’s death in August 2023, according to an ongoing lawsuit her son filed in October 2025.”
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“Shaknovsky, a doctor of osteopathic medicine, had been licensed to practice in several states.”
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“After Bryan’s death, he lost his licenses in Florida, Alabama and New York.”
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“Following his indictment last month... Shaknovsky was arrested in Miramar Beach while he was working as a Lyft driver.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.