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Florida surgeon’s shocking excuse for removing the wrong organ from patient, killing him

Nypost · · 619 words · By Priscilla DeGregory
Medical Malpractice Criminal Liability Professional Negligence
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Florida surgeon’s shocking excuse for removing the wrong organ from patient, killing him A Florida doctor accused of removing the wrong organ from a patient, killing him, offered a shocking explanation for why the surgery went so terribly awry.

Claims checked 16
Techniques found 2
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left20%
Center60%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Florida surgeon’s shocking excuse for removing the wrong organ from patient, killing him A Florida doctor accused of removing the wrong organ from a patient, killing him, offered a shocking explanation for why the surgery went so terribly awry.

Why it matters

Thomas Shaknovsky said his 70-year-old patient William Bryan started to bleed out from an unknown area in the body during a planned laparoscopic splenectomy and the doctor “couldn’t tell the difference” between his spleen and liver “because I was so upset,”…

Common ground

The 44-year-old general surgeon — who was hit with criminal charges over the death last month — made the shocking admission under oath in November during a grilling by lawyers for Bryan’s wife, Beverly, the outlet reported, citing a transcript of the…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/07/us-news/florida-surgeons-shocking-excuse-for-remov…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 80% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 16 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7
schedule Pending 6
info Single Source 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
verified Verified By Reference 1
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Claim 1: “Shaknovsky faced a prior medical malpractice suit involving the death of a 70-year-old woman who died of sepsis after he removed a mass during surgery. That suit was settled for an undisclosed amount.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 2: “Shaknovsky tried to cover up the botched surgery by telling Beverly the spleen was so diseased it was four times bigger than normal and claimed it migrated to the other side of Bryan’s body, the suit alleged.”
CORROBORATED
Although the specific 'Evidence for claim 8' section was empty, the evidence provided for claim 3 and claim 7 explicitly mentions that Shaknovsky told Beverly the spleen was four times bigger than normal and had migrated to the other side of the body.
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Claim 3: “Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky said his 70-year-old patient William Bryan started to bleed out from an unknown area in the body during a planned laparoscopic splenectomy”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (AOL, Metro News, and others) confirm Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky was involved in a surgery on 70-year-old William Bryan where the wrong organ was removed, leading to death.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dr Thomas Shaknovsky, who has been accused of removing a patient's liver instead of their spleen, says that he was 'traumatized' after their death (Walton County Sheriff's Office). The network was giv…
https://www.aol.com/articles/florida-surgeon-accused-removin…
travel_explore
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…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dr Thomas Shaknovsky, who was taken into custody in Miramar Beach on Monday, allegedly removed 70-year-old William Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen during an operation at the Ascension Sacred Heart…
https://metro.co.uk/2026/04/15/surgeon-accused-killing-patie…
schedule
Claim 4: “Despite the emergency, Shaknovsky failed to call for backup and then tried to cover up his error by wrongly labeling the organ as a spleen, authorities claimed.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 5: “the doctor “couldn’t tell the difference” between his spleen and liver “because I was so upset,” according to NBC News.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search results for this specific claim are irrelevant (listing healthcare centers and general doctor reviews) and do not contain the quote or testimony regarding the doctor being 'upset'.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 30, 2018 · Kingman Healthcare Center offers award-winning community hospital and family clinic care. Recognized as a 2026 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital by Chartis.
https://www.kingmanhc.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — What are people saying about family practice in Ninnescah River, KS? This is a review for family practice in Ninnescah River, KS: "Dr Jeff Davis is truly one in a million. He has been my physician sin…
https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Doctors&find_loc=Ninne…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Healthgrades is the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.
https://www.healthgrades.com/
help
Claim 6: “Last month, Shaknovsky — who lost his medical license — was arrested during a shift as a Lyft driver and was charged with second-degree manslaughter.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results regarding the doctor's employment as a Lyft driver or the specific circumstances of his arrest during a shift.
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Claim 7: “Shaknovsky is scheduled to be arraigned on May 19.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 8: “He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 9: “Shaknovsky took out his liver instead of the spleen, which caused “immediate and catastrophic blood loss resulting in death,” the filing alleged.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources report the allegation that the liver was removed instead of the spleen, resulting in fatal blood loss.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nevada Legal Services offers free legal resources for low income families, women, minorities, disabled, and others in need throughout the state. We offer a variety of legal help so that Nevadans are n…
https://nevadalegalservices.org/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — There are a number of organizations throughout Nevada where you might be able to obtain free legal assistance or low-cost legal help. Some local organizations provide free legal help or possibly even …
https://selfhelp.nvcourts.gov/self-help/getting-started/lawy…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Programs that provide low-cost or free legal aid for people who need counseling in legal matters.
https://www.nevada211.org/legal-services/legal-aid/
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Claim 10: “Shaknovsky and another doctor convinced him to undergo surgery on Aug. 21 because of an abnormality in his spleen”
CORROBORATED
Sources confirm that Dr. Shaknovsky and Dr. Christopher Bacani convinced the family to proceed with surgery on August 21.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 24, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo accused Thomas J. Shaknovsky of “repeated egregious surgical errors” and “egregious conduct of fabricating medical records” in the Aug. 21 death of 70-year-ol…
https://nypost.com/2024/09/29/us-news/florida-doctor-thomas-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — General Surgeon Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky and Dr. Christopher Bacani, the hospital's Chief Medical Officer, convinced Bryan's hesitant family to proceed with surgery at the hospital, warning that leaving …
https://www.ibtimes.sg/who-thomas-shaknovsky-florida-doctor-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, stands accused of negligent manslaughter in the August 2024 death of 70-year-old William Bryan after removing the wrong organ.
https://lawandcrime.com/crime/doctor-indicted-after-removing…
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Claim 11: “The 44-year-old general surgeon — who was hit with criminal charges over the death last month”
CORROBORATED
The Guardian and Metro News both report that Thomas Shaknovsky, aged 44, was indicted/charged with second-degree manslaughter related to the death of William Bryan.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, was indicted by a grand jury in Tallahassee on Monday after prosecutors said he botched the surgery of 70-year-old William Bryan, of Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/14/florida-surg…
travel_explore
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…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky was taken into custody in Florida on Monday (Picture: Linkedin). A Florida surgeon who is accused of removing the wrong organ from a patient, leading to his death, is now facing …
https://metro.co.uk/2026/04/15/surgeon-accused-killing-patie…
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Claim 12: “The doc then had the organ labeled as a spleen and it was only uncovered that it was the liver after Bryan’s death, the court papers claimed.”
CORROBORATED
The Guardian and other reports state that the removed liver was labeled as a 'spleen' and the error was discovered later.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The lawyers also alleged that Shaknovsky “proceeded with labeling the removed liver specimen as a ‘spleen’”, and told Bryan’s wife after the procedure that the “spleen” was so diseased that it was fou…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/14/florida-surg…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — "Dr. Shaknovsky removed an organ he believed to be the spleen, but due to his shock and the chaos, he was unable to properly identify the organ," the filing states. After the surgery, the doctor said …
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-doctor-indicted…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — "Even if Dr. Shaknovsky genuinely believed he was removing the spleen during the confusion of the code, once the organ was out of the body, it should have been apparent to a general surgeon that it wa…
https://www.aol.com/articles/florida-doctor-mistakenly-remov…
schedule
Claim 13: “Authorities claim the disgraced doc made a series of fatal errors, including switching from laparoscopic to riskier open surgery, citing poor visibility.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 14: “The widow is suing for malpractice and wrongful death.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (MDLinx, and others) confirm that Beverly Bryan filed a lawsuit for medical malpractice and wrongful death against Dr. Shaknovsky.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Allegedly, Dr. Shaknovsky told Beverly Bryan that her husband’s spleen had moved to the right side of his body and was four times its normal size. An investigation begins. Local authorities, including…
https://www.mdlinx.com/article/alabama-widow-files-lawsuit-a…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Bryan is now suing the hospital and surgeon Thomas Shaknovsky, accusing them of wrongful death and medical malpractice. The lawsuit, filed Jan. 30, alleges that Shaknovsky mistakenly removed Bill Brya…
https://www.thedailybeast.com/florida-surgeon-thomas-shaknov…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The surviving family of an William Bryan has filed a civil lawsuit against surgeon Thomas Shaknovsky for mistakenly removing Bryan's liver, causing his death.
https://lawandcrime.com/lawsuit/looked-at-him-like-he-was-cr…
verified
Claim 15: “Beverly said in her lawsuit that she and her husband — who are from Muscle Shoals, Alabama — were on a trip in Florida when Bryan landed in the Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital after experiencing stomach pain.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia entries about the name 'William' and lists of people from Alabama, but does not confirm the specific travel details or hospital admission of William and Beverly Bryan.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2015.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_in_country_music
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of notable electric bass guitar players. The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bass_guitarists
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a listing of notable people born in, or notable for their association with the U.S. state of Alabama.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Alabama
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 16: “He then snipped and stapled clumps of vessels around the liver, prompting hemorrhaging and causing Bryan to go into cardiac arrest, investigators claimed.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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.