MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — A northwest Florida doctor is charged with manslaughter after his patient from Alabama died on his operating table.
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It’s been almost two years, and Bill Bryan is finally getting justice after his doctor allegedly removed his liver instead of his spleen.
WKRG News 5 had the opportunity to speak with Bryan’s widow, Beverly, and the family’s attorney, Joe Zarzaur.
In the summer of 2024, Bryan and his wife vacationed on the Emerald Coast. Some pain in Bill’s abdomen led to an unexpected trip to the hospital. He ended up in Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky’s office and was talked into having surgery.
“I still miss him every single day,” Beverly said.
Bill and Beverly Bryan. (Photo courtesy of Beverly Bryan)
Beverly is a former nurse and said Shaknovsky wouldn’t allow Bill to see his own doctor back home in Northwest Alabama. That refusal led to Bill’s liver being removed instead of his spleen.
“Having worked in the medical field, it disappointed me so much,” Beverly said.
When asked if it was a lack of care or knowledge that caused the alleged mistake, Zarzaur said: “It’s hard to say.”
“He denies that he did anything wrong,” Zarzaur said. “Basically, he makes himself out to be a hero who is trying to save this man’s life.”
“When you think about it for more than two seconds, you know, that’s not true,” Bryan said.
Almost two years later, Shaknovsky is behind Walton County bars for manslaughter. Zarzaur says finding an out-of-state doctor to testify against Shaknovsky delayed the arrest.
Mugshot of Thomas Shaknovsky. (Photo courtesy of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office)
“They still couldn’t find a doctor that would serve as an expert for the state of Florida that would testify against even this doctor that this was culpable negligence. That’s how tight these folks are,” Zarzaur said.
Beverly says the arrest is a step in the right direction, but a conviction is what is needed.
“The only way that you know for sure that he wouldn’t be licensed in another state is if he does have a criminal charge. So that is the biggest relief, that he will not be able to hurt anybody else,” Beverly said.
Shaknovsky also had a prior incident where he removed part of a pancreas instead of an adrenal gland. He is no longer licensed in Alabama or Florida.
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