A Florida doctor is accused of removing a Alabama man has liver instead of spleen, As a result of the “instant and catastrophic death”, his medical license was suspended.
In an emergency order filed on September 24, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo ordered Thomas J. Schakowsky is accused of “repeated serious surgical errors” and “serious conduct of falsifying medical records” in the August 21 death of 70-year-old William Bryan.
Before the tragedy, Schakowsky was a practicing osteopathic physician at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital.
Brian and his wife Beverly were visiting the Florida Panhandle from their home in Muscle Shoals, Ala., when he began experiencing lower abdominal pain.
The couple went to the hospital in Miramar Beach – which is between Pensacola and Panama City – where doctors were concerned about the spleen abnormality and admitted him for further testing because Brian refused “surgical intervention.”
According to the document, imaging revealed a suspiciously enlarged spleen and blood in the peritoneum, with no active bleeding.
According to the emergency suspension order seen by The Post, Shakanowski reportedly recommended that Bryan undergo laparoscopic splenectomy three days in a row, but the patient refused and expressed his desire to return to Alabama, but the doctor remained adamant.
Brian eventually agreed to the doctor’s request who cited a drop in hemoglobin, but the order stated that the decline was only slight during the three-day hospital stay.
Shakanowski scheduled the “complicated procedure” for 4 pm on August 21, with the operating room staff noting that the surgery was being performed by a “skeleton staff” and that the doctors could not operate.
“Staff were concerned that Dr. Shakanowski did not have the skill level to safely perform this procedure,” the surgeon general’s order said.
The operation began but Shakanowski immediately decided to convert to an open procedure, citing poor visibility due to Brian’s “dilated colon and blood in the abdomen”.
It was discovered that Shakanowski had not documented the colon as part of his decision to switch surgeries.
The doctor claims that he started cutting the ligaments attached to the spleen, but discovered that it was the liver.
He then found and identified a vessel he intended to cut, and claimed he could feel it pulsating beneath his finger, adding, “It’s scary.”
Shakanowski fired a staple into the vessel using a surgical stapling device resulting in severe bleeding and Brian going into cardiac arrest.
As soon as a “code” was called, the staff began drawing blood and performing emergency blood transfusions and the operating staff began CPR.
While the staff worked to revive Brian, Schanowski continued the dissection inside the abdomen, without asking for assistance where he removed a 4.6 pound liver.
“The staff saw the easily recognizable liver on the table and were shocked when Dr. Shakanowski told them it was the spleen. A witness in the operating room said a staff member “felt pain in the stomach.”
Brian was declared dead as Shakanowski said he died from a splenic artery aneurysm.
The doctor reportedly requested the staff to label the liver as “spleen” and send it to pathology.
The order states that the person who labeled the organ knew it was not a spleen, but still followed the instructions.
Shakanowski left the operating room, only to return three times, with the doctor on each visit stating that Brian died of a splenic artery aneurysm.
“The staff in the room felt that Dr. Shakanowski was trying to convince them that this was what happened, even though they saw something different.”
Ladapo discovered that Brian’s death was not caused by a mistake by Shakanowski.
“Dr. Shakanowski’s misidentification of the liver was not a momentary mistake,” the order found. “Despite converting to an open procedure to increase visibility, he dissected the liver, leaving separate sections attached to the abdomen. The parts were cut off.
“Each attachment that was broken was another opportunity for Dr. Shakanowski to recognize that he was handling completely the wrong organ because of the anatomical differences between the spleen and the liver,”
“Despite having ample opportunity to realize his mistake and continue the search for the spleen, Dr. Shakanowski failed to do so.”
Ladapo argued that any restrictions to protect the public should also include a “complete ban on performing routine surgeries”.
“Dr. Shakanowski’s blatant disregard for the truth, falsification of an operative report, and attempts to persuade the OR staff to accept his version of events is a violation of the public trust. Dr. Shakanowski’s dishonesty can only be traced to the operative reports. cannot be limited; it colors every aspect of osteopathic medical practice.
The public should be able to trust that Dr. Shakanowski’s descriptions of patient care, whether in the emergency room, clinic or primary care practice, are true. That trust has been irreversibly broken. Therefore, there is no such restriction that can adequately protect the public from an osteopathic physician who is willing to lie and coerce others to lie on his behalf,” the order said.
The order also included a May 2023 surgery where Shakanowski removed a portion of a patient’s pancreas instead of the left adrenal gland that resulted in “long-term, permanent damage.”
Brian’s death was ruled a homicide due to “a liver removed during a splenectomy,” the family’s attorneys said on Facebook.
“This news is devastating to the healthcare industry, as the operating room is considered the setting of the highest level of patient care,” the law firm wrote.
Brian’s family is expected to file a malpractice lawsuit at the appropriate time.
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