Surgeon's Mistake: Man's Death Ruled Homicide

0:00Welcome to Birmingham News today, two minutes of news that matter to Birmingham. A surgeon in Florida removed the 70-year-old man's liver, instead of his fleeing during an operation last year, leading to the patient's death on the operating table. William Dale Bryan from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, bled out after the mistake at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital. The death certificate lists blood loss as the cause, and officials ruled it a homicide. During the surgery, Dr. Thomas Shacknowski reportedly panicked over what he thought was a ruptured aneurysm, but exams later found no aneurysm. Instead, he cut the inferior venecava, the body's largest vein, and rushed to remove what he believed was the spleen. Hospital staff said he kept insisting it was the right organ, even afterward. Lawyers for Bryan's family are pursuing a civil lawsuit against the surgeon. In recent depositions, they uncovered that Shacknowski examined the removed organ alone in the lab for 10-12 minutes post-surgery.

1:01Despite clear signs like the missing gallbladder spot from Bryan's prior procedure, he still called it a spleen. This new detail strengthens the case. As attorneys argue, the surgeon had every chance to recognize the error in a calm setting. Shacknowski also had a similar wrong site surgery in 2023 that settled out of court. The civil case continues with more depositions ahead and a trial date could come soon. The Walton County Sheriff's Office is investigating criminally, though no charges have been filed. Shacknowski has given up his Alabama license and retired his Florida one. A message from our sponsor supports today's story. What is cooler than cool? A pillow that plays your sound. S-O-L-I, solelypillow.com.