Family Filing Lawsuit Against Doctor Accused of Killing Muscle Shoals Man In Botched Surgery

MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. (WHNT) — It’s now been 4 months since Beverly Bryan last spoke with her husband, 70-year-old Bill Bryan.

“He was just the rock of our family,” Beverly Bryan said.

Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky is accused of taking out Bill Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen during what was meant to be a splenectomy.

Bill Bryan and his wife Beverly were visiting their rental property in Destin, Florida, on Aug. 19 when Bill felt pain on his left side. Beverly, a retired nurse, said a doctor at the medical facility diagnosed a spleen issue and insisted on performing surgery on it.

According to Joe Zarzaur of the Zarzaur law office, instead of removing Bill’s spleen, the doctor removed his liver on Aug. 21. Bill died on the operating table.

A pathologist reportedly told Beverly a bag labeled “spleen” contained Bill’s liver. Beverly said a medical examiner then performed an autopsy and confirmed Bill still had his spleen.

What’s next for the Bryan family?

Lawsuits are what’s next, as family attorney Joe Zarzaur says they will be filing a lawsuit against Shaknovsky and his practice for Mr. Bryan’s care.

But the family is also filing another lawsuit against the hospital, Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Destin.

“We are going to be filing a lawsuit against Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, as a hospital for allowing this doctor to be credentialed and continue to let him be credentialed despite the various problems he had even before Mr. Bryan,” Zarzaur said.

Zarzaur tells News 19 that currently the investigation of the criminal side of this case has been completed, and now they are waiting for the Florida state attorney to review the investigation material. From there, the attorney will make the decision on whether or not to charge Shaknovsky with a crime.

“I would like for him to face maximum penalty for taking someone else’s life because that’s what he did, my husband could not have survived what he did to him,” Beverly Bryan said.

After reviewing the medical examiner’s report, Beverly Bryan told us that the way Shaknovsky removed her husband’s liver, is a medical practice that is considered one of the hardest things to do.

Zarzaur and Mrs. Bryan said that they will be filing both lawsuits against the hospital and Shaknovsky within the next month.

Zarzaur tells News 19 that he knows that Shaknovsky is not practicing medicine in Alabama or in Florida, but he is unsure if Shaknovsky is somewhere else practicing.

In November, the Alabama Medical Licensure Commission ‘accepted the full surrender of Dr. Shaknovsky’s license to practice medicine in Alabama.’

On Sept. 24, the State of Florida Department of Health ordered the emergency suspension of the doctor’s license in the state of Florida.

Shaknovsky is also accused of a second botched surgery on May 12, 2023, according to documents from the State of Florida Department of Health.