MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Medical Licensure Commission has formally accepted the full surrender of Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky's medical license following a fatal surgical error that occurred in Florida.
Dr. Shaknovsky, a licensed surgeon in Alabama since 2016, allegedly removed the liver of 70-year-old William Bryan instead of his spleen, resulting in the patient's death.
This decision comes after an investigation and suspension of Dr. Shaknovsky’s license in October, with the Commission citing concerns that his continued practice "may constitute an immediate danger to his patients and the public."
The suspension was triggered by a complaint filed by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, which oversees the licensing and regulation of medical professionals in the state.
William M. Perkins, Executive Director of the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, emphasized the importance of upholding high standards for medical professionals. “Our duty is to ensure that physicians licensed in Alabama meet the highest standards of patient care and professionalism,” Perkins said in a statement. “When a physician's actions jeopardize patient safety, we act decisively to safeguard the public.”
Zarzaur Law, the firm representing Bryan's widow, says this isn't Dr. Shaknovsky's first "wrong-site surgery." In 2023, he allegedly removed a portion of a patient's pancreas by mistake while performing surgery on their adrenal gland.
