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Year-Long Suspension for Surgeon in Wife's Death Case
6 Feb
Summary
- Surgeon's license suspended for one year and fined $7,500.
- Wife died after complications from a procedure performed by her surgeon husband.
- Surgeon faces manslaughter charges related to his wife's death.
The Florida Board of Medicine has suspended the medical license of Gulf Breeze plastic surgeon Ben Brown for one year, following a split vote on February 6, 2026. In addition to the suspension, Brown was fined $7,500 and ordered to pay the Florida Department of Health's investigation and prosecution costs. This ruling stems from the death of his wife, Hillary Ellington Brown, who experienced cardiac arrest in November 2025 while he was performing multiple medical procedures on her. She passed away a week later without regaining consciousness.
Administrative Law Judge Yolonda Green recommended the suspension, citing the "seriousness of the offense, and respondent's poor judgment." The Department of Health presented evidence that Brown violated state statutes by failing to meet the minimum standard of medical care, maintain accurate records, perform unauthorized procedures, and allow an unlicensed person to practice medicine. Green found that Brown failed to immediately call 911 when his wife's vital signs declined.
Brown additionally faces a criminal charge of manslaughter by culpable negligence, for which he was arrested on June 17, 2024. Prosecutors allege he lacked life-saving equipment and failed to follow proper medical protocols when administering sedatives, contributing to his wife's death. The Medical Examiner's Office cited "complications following lidocaine toxicity" as the cause of death. A tentative trial date for May 4, 2026, has been set for the criminal case.
