A Florida cosmetic surgeon has been charged in the death of his wife after she went into cardiac arrest on the operating table and police say the doctor waited 20 minutes before calling 911.
According to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, 41-year-old Benjamin Brown was arrested on suspicion of murder in the death of his wife, 33-year-old Hillary Brown.
Authorities said in a press release that they were called to Restore Plastic Surgery Clinic in Gulf Breeze, Florida on Nov. 21, 2023, for a medical emergency.
Authorities say when they arrived at the cosmetic surgery clinic they found Hilary Brown in cardiac arrest.
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Benjamin Brown was charged in connection with the death of his wife, Hilary Brown. (Hillary Ellington Brown via Facebook)
She was placed on life support and died just a week later, on November 28th.
Her obituary said Hillary was remembered for having a “kind and cheerful nature” and for being an organ donor to five people.
“She was a loving and supportive mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend,” the obituary reads. “Her sunny attitude and infectious smile will truly be missed.”
Benjamin Jacob Brown, 41, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree felony murder and manslaughter. (Santa Rosa County, Florida Sheriff’s Office)
On Friday, after an “extensive investigation,” authorities “sought a warrant for Benjamin Brown’s arrest.”
“After conducting a thorough investigation in conjunction with the First Precinct Coroner’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office, our detectives sought an arrest warrant for Dr. Benjamin Brown,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
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The 41-year-old man turned himself in Monday and was arrested on suspicion of second-degree felony murder and manslaughter, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Florida Department of Health will implement the plan in May 2024. Emergency Restriction Order Dr. Brown’s license contained detailed information about his wife’s death.
The order stated that Hillary would undergo “minor muscle folding surgery/abdominal scar revision, liposuction in both arms, lip injections and ear adjustment surgery.”
According to the medical board’s report, Hillary created her own IV bag and took “a handful” of “multicolored pills, including Valium,” before undergoing the procedure.
She also created her own tumescent anesthetic but failed to produce any documentation about it, the commission said.
The medical board said it was an unauthorised procedure as Hilary was not qualified to perform the surgery.
Hilary Brown underwent heart surgery while her husband Benjamin was giving her cosmetic surgery. (Hillary Ellington Brown via Facebook)
During the procedure, Hilary told her husband she “saw orange” and began to experience muscle spasms – all symptoms of lidocaine poisoning, the panel said.
As her husband continued with the cosmetic surgery, Hilary became unresponsive and began having seizures.
The medical board said that if a patient suffers a seizure during a medical procedure, “minimum professional standards require the physician to immediately initiate emergency evacuation to a higher level of care.”
“The medical assistant asked Dr. Brown if they should call 911 and Dr. Brown responded, ‘No,'” the document states. “Over the next 10-20 minutes, the medical assistant repeatedly asked Dr. Brown if they should call 911 and Dr. Brown responded, ‘No,’ or ‘Please wait.’ Because the medical assistant was scared and new, she followed Dr. Brown’s instructions.”
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Instead of calling an ambulance, Dr Brown is said to have “yelled at” staff, asking “what medications did she take, what did she drink?”
About 10 to 20 minutes after Hilary Brown had the seizure, Dr. Brown instructed his assistant to call 911, but his wife never regained consciousness.
The Florida Medical Board alleged that Dr. Benjamin Brown’s medical care of his wife, Hillary, was “negligent and unplanned.” (Hillary Ellington Brown via Facebook)
The medical board said Brown’s medical treatment of his wife was “negligent and inappropriate.”
“Dr Brown’s extreme disregard for patient safety, even though the patient was his wife, demonstrates that he is neither willing nor able to provide an appropriate level of medical care to future patients,” they said.
Hillary and Benjamin Brown had three children. (Hillary Ellington Brown via Facebook)
Brown was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail on Monday and released the same day on $50,000 bail.
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Hillary Brown’s father, Marty Ellington Pensacola News Journal His daughter died because of “one careless person.”
“His ego and arrogance led him to ignore her need for help, prolonging the lack of oxygen to her brain and ultimately causing her death,” Ellington said. “Ben Brown robbed my grandchildren of their mother, my only daughter and our brightest star.”
