A 70-year-old Alabama man died unexpectedly after a surgeon at Ascension Scared Heart Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach, Florida removed his liver instead of his spleen, causing immediate and catastrophic blood loss resulting in the patient’s death.
William “Bill” Bryan and his wife were at their condo in Destin, Florida when Bill began having pain on the left side of his abdomen. He went to the hospital where he was admitted for issues with his spleen. A general surgeon performed hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery on Bill to remove his spleen. It is alleged that the surgeon wrongfully removed Bill’s liver instead of his spleen, and in the process cut into the vessels supplying blood to the liver. As a result, Bill immediately bled out, leading to his death.
Bill and his wife had wanted to return to their home in Alabama for Bill’s surgery but were reportedly convinced by the Florida surgeon that Bill would have bled to death if he travelled to Alabama. Instead, Bill bled to death in Florida on the operating room table, two days before their thirty-third wedding anniversary: “I know I’m not the only wife that has lost her husband suddenly, but the loss of my Bill was exceptionally unnecessary and brutal. Our family and community is devastated by what’s happened and we feel that it is our duty to spread awareness and warn others.”
The family alleges that the surgeon did not recognoze his fatal mistake during surgery, going so far as labeling the liver specimen that he removed as Bill’s spleen. Bill’s wife alleges that the surgeon told her after the surgery that Bill’s spleen was four times larger than normal due to disease, and that Bill’s spleen had migrated to the other side of his body. It was only after the pathologist identified the specimen submitted as the liver that the aggregious error was discovered.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident: “Walton County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office and Office of the State Attorney is reviewing the facts involving the death of William Bryan to determine if anything criminal took place. At this time, it would be incorrect to say criminal charges have been filed. Our agency asks for the public’s patience as these cases are extremely complex and take time to investigate. The only reliable source of information regarding any criminal case will come from our office.”
The Florida surgeon reportedly settled a prior wrong-site surgical claim in 2023 after he removed a patient’s pancreas instead of the intended adrenal gland. That surgery also took pace at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast hospital.
If you or a loved one may have been the victim of wrong organ surgery in Florida or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find a Florida medical malpractice lawyer, or a medical malpractice lawyer in your state, who may investigate your surgical malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a surgical medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
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