DESTIN, Fla. – A Northwest Florida doctor is accused of removing the wrong organ during a recent surgery that allegedly led to the death of an Alabama man.

William Bryan died on August 21, just two days before his 34th wedding anniversary, when he had his liver removed during an operation that included the removal of his spleen. He was 70 years old.

His widow Beverly is now demanding accountability.

“I know I’m not the only woman who has lost her husband suddenly,” she said. “But the loss of my Bill was extraordinarily unnecessary and brutal.”

Beverly and Bill traveled from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to spend a vacation at their condo in Destin. While they were there, Bill began to experience pain on his left side.

“We went to Sacred Heart on the Emerald Coast, where he was admitted and became a patient of Dr. (Thomas) Shaknovsky,” Beverly said.

After the examination, the doctors discovered a ruptured cyst that was bleeding around the spleen. She wanted to take Bill back to his own doctors in northern Alabama.

“I tried to convince Dr. Shaknovsky to take him home or arrange transport,” she said. “But Dr. Shaknovsky said Bill would bleed to death if he was moved.”

On August 21, Bill underwent surgery to remove his spleen, but by the evening of that same day he was dead.

“They took him from us when he was lying on an operating table, completely helpless,” Beverly said. “They removed his liver instead of his spleen, so of course he bled to death on the operating table.”

“Everyone knows you can’t live without your liver,” she added. “It’s almost like having your heart ripped out.”

According to a report from Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky was identified as the lead surgeon.

Pensacola attorney Joe Zarzaur, who was hired by the family, provided WEAR News with what the hospital calls “operative documentation,” which describes the operation and its history in detail.

The document states that Bill Bryan was admitted to the hospital on August 18. It says several tests were performed, including a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a computed tomography (CT) scan.

“My client went to Sacred Heart Emerald Coast with pain and discomfort in his right flank,” Zarzauer said, “and he was treated and Dr. Shaknovsky recommended a splenectomy – that is, removal of the spleen.”

According to Zarzaur, something went wrong when Bill underwent surgery.

The report states that Bill lost a lot of blood during the procedure and his blood pressure dropped abruptly, leading to cardiac arrest. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, the document states.

Zarzaur also presented the hospital’s surgical pathology report, which showed that the organ labeled “spleen” was something else.

“Dr. Shaknovsky planned to remove the spleen,” Zarzaur said. “When the spleen was sent to the hospital’s pathology department, after the procedure was completed, the pathologist at the hospital said, ‘This is not a spleen, this is a liver.'”

Zarzaur referred to the operation document and said that was not what the doctor reported.

“The doctor reported it as if it was a spleen complication and as if the patient had actually died from a botched spleen operation,” Zarzaur said.

Zarzaur intends to file a civil lawsuit.

Meanwhile, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that it is investigating William Bryan’s death and issued the following statement to WEAR News:

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the 1st District Coroner’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office, is reviewing the facts surrounding the death of William Bryan to determine if a criminal incident occurred. At this time, it would be inaccurate to say that charges have been filed. Our office asks the public for patience as these cases are extremely complex and take time to investigate. The only reliable source of information regarding a criminal case is our office.

WEAR News asked Ascension Sacred Heart about the incident and Dr. Shaknovsky’s relationship with the hospital.

The hospital did not respond to questions, but only issued a statement saying, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. Sacred Heart Emerald Coast management is investigating this matter.”

“(Beverly) wants the criminal case to proceed,” Zarzaur said. “She wants a case of culpable negligence on the criminal side. And she wants everyone – whether it’s a doctor or doctors and nurses or multiple doctors and a hospital – to be held accountable so this doesn’t happen again. Your risk management team shouldn’t be stronger than your admissions team at a hospital.”

Bill Bryan leaves behind three children and eight grandchildren. Beverly describes him as honest, friendly and reliable.

She says he deserves justice.

“Our family and our community are devastated by what has happened,” she said. “And we feel it is our duty to raise awareness and warn others.”