Woman devastated as husband dies on operating table after surgeons ‘removed wrong organ’

A woman has been left utterly heartbroken after her husband was the victim of a 'life-altering surgical mistake' which led to his death.

William Bryan, 70, and his wife Beverly, from Alabama, US, were visiting their rental property in Florida in late August when William felt a sharp pain on the left side of his body.

Beverly rushed him to the nearest hospital, Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Walton County, which is where he died following an alleged 'drastic' mistake by a surgeon.

Before his death, it has been stated that he refused surgery profusely, but his surgeon Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky and his team 'persuaded' him that it was a good idea to avoid further 'complications'.

William Bryan pictured with his wife Beverly (Facebook/Zarzaur Law)

Listening to the expert advice, William agreed to have the operation.

The surgeon was supposed to be removing his spleen, but made the grave mistake of taking out his liver instead.

Dr. Robert Blanchard, the pathologist, noted the organ removed from Bryan’s body, which was 'designated' as a spleen, was a 'grossly identifiable' liver, leading to the life-threatening mistake.

In the process of removing the wrong organ, Dr. Shaknovsky allegedly tore many blood vessels that were connected, and it was this disastrous loss of blood that led to William's death.

Following his death, Dr. Shaknovsky reportedly told Beverly that William's spleen was so unhealthy, it was four times bigger than it should have been, and had migrated to the other side of his body.

Beverly is now seeking legal justice for the life of her husband, of whom she was married to for 33 years.

In a statement, she said: "My husband died while helpless on the operating room table by Dr. Shaknovsky."

Beverly claims her husband was 'persuaded' to have the fatal surgery (Facebook/Zarzaur Law)

She said she doesn't 'want anyone else to die due to his incompetence', before claiming that the hospital 'should have known or knew he had previously made drastic, life-altering surgical mistakes'.

Beverly's legal team have accused Shaknovsky of mistakenly removing part of a patient’s pancreas during a different procedure in 2023.

A spokesperson for Ascension said in a statement to USA TODAY: "We take allegations like this very seriously, and our leadership team is performing a thorough investigation into this event.

"Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast has a longstanding history of providing safe, quality care since the hospital opened its doors in 2001," the statement continued.

"Patient safety is and remains our number one priority. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family. We hold the privacy of our patients in the highest regard. We do not comment on specific patient cases or active litigation."

LADbible Group has contacted the Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast for further comment.

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.