A Gulf Breeze, Fla., plastic surgeon whose wife died after going into cardiac arrest during a procedure at his clinic says “all safety and medical protocols were strictly followed,” according to a statement released by his family Friday morning.

Dr. Ben Brown was performing what he described as multiple “minor and routine” plastic surgery procedures on his wife, Mobile native Hillary Ellington Brown, when she went into cardiac arrest Nov. 21 at her husband’s Restore Plastic Surgery clinic in Gulf Breeze. She was taken to an area hospital, where she remained in a coma with severe brain swelling and died a week later.

The circumstances surrounding Hillary Brown’s death are being investigated by the Santa Rosa County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the District One Medical Examiner’s Office. The sheriff’s office said the investigation is not uncommon in cases where the death was “unexpected or occurs under unusual circumstances.”

Information from the Santa Rosa County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office indicates a 911 call was received shortly after 4 p.m. on Nov. 21 for a woman in distress. Both deputes and EMS units were dispatched to the scene.

WEAR in Pensacola reported that in the 911 call the dispatcher can be heard saying, “The caller reported a female is undergoing a procedure for lipo-fat transfer… cardiac arrest.”

Notes taken during the 911 call include: “DR POSS OVER MEDICATED PATIENT,” the Pensacola News Journal reported. Hillary Brown died Nov. 28 after being taken off life support. Her organs were donated.

“Ben is completely devastated by the sudden loss of his loving wife Hillary,” the statement from his family said “and is desperately trying to understand how to live one day, never mind a lifetime without her by his side. His deep grief and shock is only compounded by many mistruths circulating online and in the media.

“The procedures Ben performed on the day of Hillary’s passing were minor and routine. All safety and medical protocols were strictly followed, and the procedures took place during office hours with the support of Ben’s medical staff. Ben is a dedicated and incredibly talented surgeon, with no previous disciplinary actions or marks.”

The Florida Department of Health website indicates Ben Brown has not had any disciplinary action against him in the last 10 years.

According to the News Journal, however, Ben Brown has faced a number of complaints relative to botched procedures, the News Journal reported, including an active medical malpractice lawsuit for negligence. In the suit, a woman alleges Brown used “foreign materials” in a breast reconstruction surgery without her consent, causing a serious infection and debilitating complications.