Gulf Breeze plastic surgeon Ben Brown has been charged in the death of his wife, 33-year-old Hillary Brown, who died after she went into cardiac arrest while he was performing several procedures on her at his office, Restore Plastic Surgery, in November past. .
The Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office arrested Brown for second-degree manslaughter: negligent homicide. He is currently being held in the Santa Rosa County Jail pending his first appearance, where bail will be determined by a judge and the State Attorney’s Office. The 41-year-old plastic surgeon turned himself in on Monday morning after an arrest warrant was signed by a judge on Friday. He was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail and was not granted bond.
An investigation by the Florida Department of Health revealed that Brown allegedly waited to call 911 after she became unresponsive in her surgical chair.
They say he also waited at least 10 to 20 minutes before beginning CPR, did not have life-saving equipment available in his office when her heart stopped, and did not follow proper medical protocol when administering sedatives such as lidocaine, which ended leading up to her death.
Dr. ‘This man has to be stopped’: Dr Ben Brown’s patients trusted the surgeon – and regretted it
Who was Dr Ben Brown’s wife?
The arrest is a relief for Marty Ellington, who blames his daughter’s husband for her death and wants justice for her and the three children she leaves behind.
“My family lives in tears for eternity due to the actions of one careless individual,” Ellington said. “His ego and arrogance overshadowed his need for help, prolonging oxygen deprivation to his brain and ultimately causing his death. Ben Brown took away my grandchildren’s mother, my only daughter, and our brightest star. any other person. Maybe in prison he will get the attention he deserves.”
On May 2, the Florida Department of Health issued an emergency order restricting Ben Brown’s medical license to performing procedures or surgeries only in a licensed hospital under the supervision of a licensed physician. State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo said Brown’s “inability or unwillingness” to follow basic medical procedures poses a “serious immediate danger to the health, welfare and safety of the public.” and for citizens of the state of Florida.
The health department also asked the Florida Board of Medicine to impose one or more penalties on Brown for violating several state statutes related to the treatment of patients and his wife, as well as allowing Hillary to perform procedures on patients without a license. The health department said Brown’s behavior fell below the minimum standard of medical care and that he failed to maintain accurate and complete medical records, performed unauthorized procedures and allowed an unlicensed person to practice medicine.
How did Hillary Brown die?
The state’s decision was based on several factors, including the investigation into Hillary Brown’s death. According to the emergency order, Ben Brown disregarded basic medical procedures and care when performing procedures on his wife, such as waiting 10 to 20 minutes before calling 911 when his wife became unresponsive.
The state discovered that on November 21, 2023, Hillary Brown was undergoing miniature muscle plication/abdominal scar revision, bilateral arm liposuction, lip injection, and ear tuning procedures when she showed signs of lidocaine toxicity.
The state said that Hillary, who is not a licensed medical professional, was allowed to prepare and take her own anesthetic solution before the procedures Brown performed on her and that she showed signs of lidocaine toxicity during the surgery before becoming unresponsive, but Brown continued to administer lidocaine and operate on her.
The team finally called 911, but Hillary Ellington Brown was taken off life support on November 28, 2023, about a week later.
In the conclusions of the 30-page order, the health department also describes numerous violations of basic health care standards that constitute “medical negligence,” including performing unauthorized procedures on patients such as Brazilian butt lifts, failing to comply with sterility protocols and performing poor work on patients that led to infections and inadequate wound care.
Ellington said his daughter was unhappy in many ways about being married to Brown and when she was on life support at the hospital, he said Brown seemed more concerned about money than his life.
“Apparently his insurance was canceled on November 30th, and he texted me to make sure I planned to send her to hospice before or after that date,” Ellington explained. “He sent me a message saying we needed to make sure her time of death was before the 30th because the insurance benefits would disappear and my grandchildren would not receive part of the life insurance.
“I’m not even worried about money,” Marty Ellington continued. “My daughter is lying here and we remain hopeful that she will survive, but he was just worried that the time of death would be before the 30th and that he would sell everything, file for bankruptcy and buy a new vehicle. before your credit plummets. I thought, ‘Oh, my God, I don’t want to hear all this. My daughter is lying here, that’s all I’m thinking about right now. I want people to know that’s who he is.”
Ellington said he was also shocked that Brown sold some of his wife’s things on social media shortly after her death, including ski equipment, which he believes shows his lack of remorse.
Numerous lawsuits have been filed against Brown in Santa Rosa and Escambia county courts by companies trying to collect outstanding debts. According to court documents, Brown lost ownership of his office in the Tiger Point area of Gulf Breeze due to foreclosure.
Brown did not respond to requests for comment, but an earlier statement released by his crisis management public relations team said he denied allegations of wrongdoing.
“Dr. Brown continues to live a never-ending nightmare without his wife Hillary by his side, and these inaccurate allegations only further deepen his immense pain,” the emailed statement said.
This article originally appeared in the Pensacola News Journal: Dr. Ben Brown Pensacola Plastic Surgeon Accused of Wife’s Death
