“It was only until she started turning blue that he allowed people to call 911,” the plastic surgeon's father-in-law, Marty Ellington, tells Inside Edition.
A plastic surgeon has been criminally charged after his wife had a seizure while he was performing procedures on her in his medical office, according to authorities.
Doctor Ben Brown’s wife, Hillary Brown, was scheduled to have liposuction on her arms, lip injections, and an ear adjustment at his office outside Pensacola, Florida, investigators say.
While on the operating table, authorities say the doctor’s 33-year-old wife began “twitching” and “her vision started to blur,” showing early signs of “lidocaine toxicity.”
Lidocaine is an anesthetic often used during surgery.
One of Ben’s assistants asked if she should call 911, investigators say. Ben allegedly told her, “No” or “Wait” as he tried to revive his wife.
Authorities say after about 20 minutes, 911 was called but Hillary never regained consciousness. She died in the hospital a week later.
The Browns had been married for just 16 months.
“It was only until she started turning blue that he allowed people to call 911,” Hillary’s father, Marty Ellington, tells Inside Edition. ‘I don’t know if it was ego that got in the way and he didn’t want somebody to think that his surgical center made mistakes or whatever but it’s not a time to think about ego or think about your business, it’s about getting help.”
Ben Brown, 41, turned himself in to police and has been charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence. He was released after posting a $50,000 bond.
“To see him in handcuffs walking down the hallway was a bit of relief but we’ve got a long road ahead,” Ellington says.
The American Medical Association’s Code of Ethics says physicians generally should not treat themselves or their immediate family.
