A 70-year-old Alabama man who suffered a medical emergency on vacation in Florida died on the operating table after the surgeon mistakenly removed his liver instead of his spleen, according to the patient’s family.
WMBB-TV reported that William ‘Bill’ Bryan and his wife, Beverly, were visiting their rental property in Destin on Aug. 19 when Bill felt pain on his left side.
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The couple went to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital near Pensacola, where doctors were concerned about an abnormality in his spleen and admitted him for further testing, the family’s lawyer said.
Beverly Bryan, a retired nurse, said Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky diagnosed a spleen surgery.
According to the Zarzaur law office, however, instead of the spleen, Shaknovsky removed Bill Bryan’s liver and he died on the operating table.
The family is pushing for both a lawsuit and a criminal investigation related to the death.
In a statement, the hospital said it was investigating the man’s death, but released no further details, citing confidentiality laws.
“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 2003,” the hospital said in statement obtained by AL.com. “Patient safety is and remains our No. 1 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.”