Florida surgeon devastated' over death of patient after removing liver instead of spleen

"I'm forever traumatized by it and hurt by it. Wrong-site surgeries can happen during difficult circumstances. Shaknovsky later said he had been mentally compromised at the time of Bryan's death, explaining that he was devastated, demoralized, crying over his passing, felt that I failed him."

"According to Shaknovksy's deposition, after removing Bryan's liver, the surgeon instructed a nurse to label the organ as a spleen and he also identified it as a spleen in Bryan's postoperative notes. Shaknovsky later said he had been mentally compromised at the time of Bryan's death, explaining that he was devastated, demoralized, crying over his passing, felt that I failed him."

"Shaknovsky's deposition testimony described the chaos in the operating room after Bryan began bleeding extensively, causing his heart to stop. Medical staff performed chest compressions, and Shaknovsky attempted to find where the bleeding was coming from. I couldn't tell the difference because I was so upset, he said."

"The suit alleges that he wrongfully omitted any reference to Mr Bryan's liver being removed in order to cover up' his gross negligence/recklessness and to hopefully avoid the embarrassment due to such derelict care, as NBC reported. In April, the Walton county sheriff's office said in a statement that Shaknovsky's actions inflicted on Bryan catastrophic blood loss and the patient's death on the operating table."

A Florida surgeon facing manslaughter charges described a wrong-site operation that resulted in a patient’s death. The patient died after the surgeon allegedly removed the liver instead of the spleen. In a deposition, the surgeon said he instructed a nurse to label the removed organ as a spleen and identified it as a spleen in postoperative notes. He said he was devastated and mentally compromised, describing crying and feeling he failed the patient. After extensive bleeding began, staff performed chest compressions and the surgeon tried to locate the bleeding source but said he could not tell the difference because he was too upset. A lawsuit alleges the surgeon omitted references to the liver removal to cover up negligence.

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