GULF BREEZE, Fla. – A plastic surgeon in Florida was arrested and charged with manslaughter on Monday for the death of his wife, who went into cardiac arrest following a series of cosmetic procedures on her, according to reports.
Benjamin Jacob Brown, 41, refused to call 911 for nearly 20 minutes as his wife, Hillary Ellington-Brown, had a seizure on the operating table in his Gulf Breeze, Florida office in November 2023, officials said, according to Fox News Digital.
The victim reportedly took a “plethora of pills” prior to the surgery, and even participated in multiple medical procedures.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office said the woman, who had three children from a prior relationship, sewed up her own abdominal incision.
Brown surrendered to law enforcement officials on Monday, after a judge signed a warrant charging him with manslaughter by culpable negligence, a second-degree felony.
The Georgetown-educated surgeon posted bail and was subsequently released from custody.
Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Health filed an emergency restriction on Brown’s medical license following his wife’s death, Fox reported.
According to the order, Ellington-Brown submitted to liposuction, lip injections, ear adjustments and other procedures at Brown’s Restore Plastic Surgery facility Nov. 21, 2023.
Staffers told investigators that Brown’s wife – who had no medical training – prepared her own IV bags containing anesthetic before her husband began operating on her, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Brown, a Georgetown-educated surgeon, administered additional anesthesia but was unable to specify what drugs were used and failed to record the dosages, investigators noted.
Hillary Ellington-Brown overdosed on lidocaine during a series of cosmetic procedures performed by her husband, Florida plastic surgeon Ben Brown. (Facebook)
According to an unnamed former employee, Brown intentionally gave his wife more anesthesia than was appropriate for her small stature.
“She said Brown referred to the victim as his ‘little alien’ and intentionally gave the victim higher doses of medications,” the warrant reads.
The affidavit said the victim “became restless and her feet began twitching” during the abdominal procedure. The symptoms became worse during liposuction of her arms.
Despite having signs of “lidocaine toxicity,” Brown allegedly injected his wife with an increased concentrated lidocaine solution into her face, according to sheriff’s investigators.
“Her vision started to blur, and she told Dr. Brown that she saw ‘orange'” prior to becoming unresponsive and suffering a seizure.
Florida surgeon Ben Brown is charged with manslaughter in the death of his wife after performing a series of cosmetic procedures on her. (Instagram)
During the medical emergency, multiple staff members asked if they should call 911. However, Brown instructed them to wait while addressing the issues himself.
As the woman’s vitals crashed, the surgeon told his staff to find an oxygen tank and a stethoscope, but they couldn’t locate the much-needed supplies.
After a period of duress, Brown finally relented and told a staffer to call 911.
Ellington-Brown was subsequently transported to the Ascension Sacred Heart Emergency Care Department in Pensacola. Upon arrival, she was placed on life support, but died a week later.
The cause of death originated from “complications following lidocaine toxicity,” according to the medical examiner.
Marty Ellington, the victim’s father, blamed the physician’s “ego and arrogance” for his daughter’s death.
“Ben Brown took the mother from my grandchildren, my only daughter and our brightest star. Hillary gave the ultimate sacrifice so Ben Brown cannot hurt anyone else,” the grieving father told the Pensacola News Journal. “Maybe in prison, he will get the attention he deserves.”
