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A Florida plastic surgeon, Dr. Benjamin Brown, has been charged with manslaughter for the death of his wife, Hillary Ellington Brown. She went into cardiac arrest while he was performing several cosmetic procedures on her at his clinic in Gulf Breeze, Florida, in November 2023.
On November 21, 2023, Dr. Brown was performing several procedures on his wife, Hillary, including a modified tummy tuck, arm liposuction, and lip injections. She was not a licensed medical professional, yet she prepared her own IV bags for the anesthesia.
According to a complaint by the Florida Department of Health, Hillary ingested several pills, and during the procedure, her feet started twitching and she reported blurry vision and “seeing orange”—all signs of lidocaine toxicity.
Despite these clear warning signs, Dr. Brown continued operating and injected more anesthetic. When his wife became unresponsive and had a seizure, a medical assistant asked if they should call emergency services. Dr. Brown reportedly refused, telling them “no” or “wait” for 10 to 20 minutes.
After a significant delay, Brown finally told an assistant to call emergency services, and he began resuscitation efforts. The call to emergency services noted, “DR POSS OVER MEDICATED PATIENT”. Hillary was transported to a hospital but never regained consciousness. She was taken off life support a week later, on November 28, 2023.
The medical examiner determined her cause of death was complications from lidocaine toxicity.
In June 2024, Dr. Brown was charged with second-degree felony homicide, or manslaughter by culpable negligence. He turned himself in and was released on a $50,000 bond.
The Florida Department of Health issued an emergency order in May 2024, restricting his medical license to performing procedures only at a licensed hospital under the supervision of another physician.
he department found Dr. Brown’s treatment of his wife to be “careless and haphazard,” noting his disregard for patient safety. The emergency order also revealed that his wife, an unlicensed person, had been performing procedures on other patients.
Dr. Brown has been the subject of other medical malpractice lawsuits. In September 2025, he lost a bid to move a civil trial for another case to a different venue.
Hillary Ellington Brown, a 33-year-old mother of three young children (ages 4 to 8 at the time) from a previous marriage, died on November 28, 2023, due to complications from lidocaine toxicity following multiple cosmetic plastic surgery procedures performed by her husband, Dr. Ben Brown, at his clinic, Restore Plastic Surgery, in Gulf Breeze, Florida.
On November 21, 2023, during an after-hours procedure (which included several facial and body enhancements), Hillary suffered seizures, blurred vision, and cardiac arrest around 4:15 p.m. Emergency call notes suggested she may have been overmedicated with lidocaine, a local anesthetic. Dr. Brown waited approximately 20 minutes before calling 911, during which time she became unresponsive.
She was rushed to a Pensacola-area hospital, where she remained in a coma for a week with severe brain swelling from oxygen deprivation. Life support was withdrawn on November 28, and her organs were donated. The official cause of death was ruled as complications from lidocaine toxicity.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation immediately, focusing on potential overmedication and procedural lapses. An autopsy confirmed the lidocaine-related complications, but full results took months.
On June 17, 2024, Dr. Ben Brown, 40, turned himself in and was charged with second-degree felony homicide (manslaughter by culpable negligence). Authorities alleged he intentionally delayed emergency response and injected excessive painkillers. He was released on $50,000 bond.
The Florida Department of Health and Board of Medicine opened investigations into Brown’s practice, citing multiple patient complaints and two open malpractice lawsuits against Restore Plastic Surgery:
(one involving unauthorized use of foreign materials in a breast reconstruction).
Brown has no prior disciplinary actions in the last decade but faces potential license suspension.
Hillary, originally from Mobile, Alabama, was described by family and friends as a vibrant, loving, and devoted mother who worked at the clinic and was known for her cheerful demeanor with clients.
She and Ben began dating in July 2021, married in June 2022, and shared a relationship marked by intensity—her father, Rodney Ellington, later claimed she planned to leave the marriage but stayed partly due to the access to free surgeries. Following her death, her children moved in with their biological father.
This case highlights risks in elective cosmetic surgery, especially when performed by family members or in non-hospital settings. Experts, including Dr. Marc Siegel from NYU Langone, emphasized that operating on relatives violates ethical standards due to emotional bias.
As of October 2025, Brown’s legal case remains active, with no trial date set, and public discourse continues on platforms like X about patient safety in plastic surgery.