Florida plastic surgeon charged in wife's death after leaving her in cardiac arrest on operating table: police

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A Florida cosmetic surgeon was charged in his wife’s death after she went into cardiac arrest on his operating table, and he allegedly waited 20 minutes to call 911, police said.

According to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's office, 41-year-old Benjamin Brown was arrested for the death of his 33-year-old wife, Hillary Brown.

In a press release, authorities said that they were called to Restore Plastic Surgery clinic in Gulf Breeze, Florida, on Nov. 21, 2023, for a medical emergency.

Authorities said that when they arrived at the cosmetic procedure clinic, they found Hillary Brown suffering from cardiac arrest.

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Benjamin Brown was charged in connection with the death of his wife, Hillary Brown. (Hillary Ellington Brown via Facebook)

She was put on life support and died just one week later, on Nov. 28.

In her obituary, Hillary was remembered for her "kind and cheerful nature" and as an organ donor to five recipients.

"She was a loving and supportive mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend," the obituary said. "Her radiant attitude and infectious smile will be truly missed."

Benjamin Jacob Brown, 41, was arrested for second degree felony homicide: manslaughter by culpable negligence.  (Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office Florida)

On Friday, after an "extensive investigation," authorities "requested a warrant for the arrest of Benjamin Brown."

"After an extensive investigation in conjunction with the District One Medical Examiner’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office, our detectives requested a warrant for the arrest of Dr. Benjamin Brown," the sheriff's office said.

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The 41-year-old turned himself in on Monday, and he was arrested on second degree felony homicide and manslaughter by culpable negligence, the sheriff's office said.

The Florida Department of Health in May 2024 issued an order of emergency restriction of Dr. Brown’s license which provided more information on his wife's death.

The order said that Hillary was scheduled to undergo "miniature muscle plication/abdominal scar revision, bilateral arm liposuction, lip injections, and ear adjustment procedures."

Prior to her medical procedures, Hillary created her own IV bags and ingested a "handful" of "multicolored pills, which included Valium," the medical board wrote.

She also created her own tumescent anesthesia and did not create any documentation of it, the board said.

The medical board said that this was unauthorized since Hillary was not licensed to perform procedures.

Hillary Brown went into cardiac surgery when her husband, Benjamin, was doing cosmetic surgery on her. (Hillary Ellington Brown via Facebook)

During the procedures, Hillary told her husband that she "saw orange" and began experiencing muscle twitches — all symptoms of lidocaine toxicity, the board said. 

As her husband continued to perform cosmetic surgery, Hillary became unresponsive and began to have a seizure.

The Medical Board said that when a patient experiences a seizure during a medical procedure, "the minimum prevailing professional standard of care requires a physician to immediately initiate emergency transfer to a higher level of care."

"A medical assistant asked Dr. Brown if they should call 911 and Dr. Brown said ‘no,'" the document states. "Over the next 10-20 minutes, a medical assistant asked Dr. Brown if they should call 911, and Dr. Brown said ‘no,’ or ‘wait.’ The medical assistant was scared and a new employee, so she did as Dr. Brown instructed."

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Instead of calling an ambulance, Dr. Brown allegedly "shouted" at the staff, asking "what medication did she take, what did she take."

About 10 to 20 minutes after Hillary Brown suffered a seizure, Dr. Brown instructed an assistant to call 911, but his wife never regained consciousness.

The Florida Medical Board alleged that Benjamin Brown's care of his wife, Hillary, was "careless and haphazard." (Hillary Ellington Brown via Facebook)

The medical board said that Brown's medical care of his wife was "careless and haphazard."

"The level of disregard Dr. Brown paid to patient safety, even when the patient was his wife, indicates that Dr. Brown is unwilling or incapable of providing the appropriate level of care to his future patients," they said.

Hillary and Benjamin Brown shared three children together. (Hillary Ellington Brown via Facebook)

Brown was booked into the Santa Rosa County Detention Facility on Monday, and released on $50,000 bond the same day.

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Marty Ellington, Hillary Brown's father, told the Pensacola News Journal that his daughter died because of "one careless individual."

"His ego and arrogance overshadowed the need for help, prolonging oxygen deprivation to her brain and ultimately causing her death," Ellington said. "Ben Brown took the mother from my grandchildren, my only daughter and our brightest star."