Florida Surgeon Indicted for Manslaughter After Wrong Organ Removed in Fatal Surgery

A Florida surgeon has been indicted on a second-degree manslaughter charge following the death of a patient during a 2024 surgery in which the wrong organ was removed. The case involves allegations from medical regulators of prior malpractice incidents and has resulted in the suspension of the doctor's medical licenses in three states.

Indictment and Arrest

Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, was indicted by a grand jury on a charge of second-degree manslaughter. The indictment relates to the August 2024 death of a 70-year-old man from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Dr. Shaknovsky was taken into custody in Miramar Beach, Florida, and transported to the Walton County Jail.

Allegations in the August 2024 Case

Prosecutors allege the following sequence of events, based on court filings and a press release from the Office of the State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit:

On August 21, 2024, Dr. Shaknovsky performed a scheduled laparoscopic splenectomy, a procedure to remove the spleen, on the 70-year-old patient.
Prosecutors allege that during this surgery, Dr. Shaknovsky removed the patient's liver instead of the spleen.
According to the State Attorney's Office, this action resulted in significant blood loss and the patient's death during the procedure. Some sources specify the death occurred on the operating table.

A court filing states that after the surgery, Dr. Shaknovsky reported the patient died of a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm. An autopsy found no evidence of a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm. The autopsy report noted the patient's spleen was untouched, while the liver was missing.

The filing further alleges Dr. Shaknovsky continued the operation after the patient went into cardiac arrest.

Background on the Surgery:
A court filing states that Dr. Shaknovsky recommended surgery after the patient presented with abdominal pain. Imaging showed a suspected enlarged spleen and the presence of blood in the peritoneum, with no active hemorrhage noted. The filing alleges Dr. Shaknovsky advised the patient to have the surgery over a period of two days, and that the patient agreed on the third day.

Medical License Actions

Following the August 2024 incident, multiple state medical boards took action against Dr. Shaknovsky's license to practice:

The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners filed a court order to temporarily suspend his medical license.
The Alabama Medical Licensure Commission subsequently revoked his Alabama medical license in 2024.
His Florida medical license was suspended in 2024.
His New York medical license was suspended in 2025.

Additional Allegations from Medical Regulators

A filing from the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners accuses Dr. Shaknovsky of two other instances of alleged malpractice:

May 2023: The board alleges that during a surgery intended to remove a patient's left adrenal gland, Dr. Shaknovsky removed part of the patient's pancreas. Public records from the Florida Department of Health show a malpractice claim related to this incident was settled for $400,000 in 2024.
July 2023: The board alleges that during another procedure, Dr. Shaknovsky removed part of a patient's intestine, causing a gastrointestinal perforation. The filing states the patient was moved to an intensive care unit and died shortly afterward.

Background and Case Status

Public records from the Florida Department of Health indicate Dr. Shaknovsky has stated he has "never been asked to or allowed to resign from or had any medical staff privileges restricted or revoked within the last 10 years."
Dr. Shaknovsky graduated from Midwestern University's Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2009, according to public records.
Dr. Shaknovsky could not be reached for comment, and it is unclear whether he has retained an attorney.
A representative for the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners did not immediately return a request for comment.
The State Attorney’s Office of the First Judicial Circuit did not immediately return a request for comment.