Michael Glyn Brown
Encyclopedia
Michael Glyn Brown is a former hand surgeon from Greater Houston
, Texas
. Brown is the owner of the Brown Hand Center. Craig Malislow of the Houston Press
said that Brown has been "long a fixture of Houston TV commercials and society."
. In middle school he saw a film of Michael DeBakey performing heart surgery. He wanted to be a heart surgeon, but he said that he ultimately became a hand surgeon because the practice allowed for greater creativity and was "more challenging." In 1975 he graduated from Galena Park High School
with honors. For his undergraduate studies he attended the Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University–San Marcos
), where he received a grade point average of 3.97. He then attended and graduated from the Baylor College of Medicine
. He received his medical license in 1983. Brown did surgical training in a hospital in Stockton, California
. In 1988 he founded the Brown Hand Center. Until a time before 2002, Brown made $2.5 million annually from his business. He had a residence in the East Wedgwood Glen of The Woodlands
. He also had a mansion in the Memorial area of Houston.
Todd Ackerman of the Houston Chronicle
said that Brown's popularity as a hand surgeon was often attributed to the "patented Brown technique" of carpal tunnel
surgery, an endoscopic surgery for the wrist. The Brown Hand Center advertisements and website credited him with inventing the technique. The materials contrast the Brown technique with more traditional surgery, which requires stitches. Dr. Robert Szabo, the president of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand
and the chief hand surgeon of the University of California-Davis School of Medicine, said that Brown's business has "nothing unique" "in regards to the surgeries they perform or helping hand patients generally." Ackerman said that Szabo and other orthopedic surgeons say that Brown's claim to a special technique is based on the fact that he patented his own surgical instruments. They said that Brown's instruments are very similar to instruments used by other hand surgeons.
In Houston Brown was well known for starring in television advertisements that show him with Sophie, his baby daughter. Ackerman said that Brown "made a lucrative business by portraying himself as a medical pioneer dedicated to principles of family, compassion and kindness" and that he had a "family-man image". Ackerman added that "But in reality, he appears possessed by personal demons — drugs, sex, violence — that have threatened his professional career and destroyed his family life."
In 2002 the Texas Medical Board
placed Brown on probation due to "concerns he had an alcohol or chemical dependency" and for beating Darlina Barone, his third wife. In 2002 he had been charged with and convicted of beating her.
In 2006, after Brown tested positive for cocaine
, the Texas Medical Board revoked his license to practice medicine.
In 2008 Brown received the Republican Congressional Medal of Distinction. As part of the award he had a dinner with President of the United States
George W. Bush
and a lunch with Vice President of the United States
Dick Cheney
. In 2010 he threw the first pitch at a Houston Astros
game. Ackerman said that the marital and drug use controversies did not "put a damper on Brown's favor among the powerful."
, Las Vegas, and Phoenix
. In 2010 Ackerman said "For all of Brown's troubles, his business continues to thrive." One of Barone's divorce attorneys said in September 2010 that his businesses were expected to gross about $45 million in a 12 month period afterwards. Tommy Fibich, a law attorney, said that the projected figure is higher than the $15 and $30 million annual grosses that the business had in approximately five years. As of 2010 the Brown Hand Center advertising promotes Brown's medical background and mentions that he has a medical degree, but Ackerman said that the advertisements "stop short of identifying him as a practicing doctor" The advertisements say that Brown trained the doctors who work at the clinic and had been "retired." Seth Chandler, a University of Houston
professor of law, assessed whether the advertisements violate the Texas Medical Practice Act. Chandler concluded that "It's a close call. The ads are misleading, but I don't see a slam dunk for anyone looking to prosecute."
Greater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Brown is the owner of the Brown Hand Center. Craig Malislow of the Houston Press
Houston Press
The Houston Press is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in Downtown Houston....
said that Brown has been "long a fixture of Houston TV commercials and society."
History
Brown was born in Galena Park, TexasGalena Park, Texas
Galena Park is a city in Harris County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 10,887 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. In middle school he saw a film of Michael DeBakey performing heart surgery. He wanted to be a heart surgeon, but he said that he ultimately became a hand surgeon because the practice allowed for greater creativity and was "more challenging." In 1975 he graduated from Galena Park High School
Galena Park High School
Galena Park High School is a secondary school located in Galena Park, Texas, United States and is one of three secondary schools in the Galena Park Independent School District ....
with honors. For his undergraduate studies he attended the Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University–San Marcos
Texas State University–San Marcos
Texas State University–San Marcos is a doctoral-granting university located in San Marcos, Texas...
), where he received a grade point average of 3.97. He then attended and graduated from the Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine, located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, USA, is a highly regarded medical school and leading center for biomedical research and clinical care...
. He received his medical license in 1983. Brown did surgical training in a hospital in Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
. In 1988 he founded the Brown Hand Center. Until a time before 2002, Brown made $2.5 million annually from his business. He had a residence in the East Wedgwood Glen of The Woodlands
The Woodlands, Texas
The Woodlands is a master-planned community and a Census-designated place in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. The population of the CDP was 55,649 at the 2000 census—a 90 percent increase over its 1990 population. According to the 2010 census, The Woodlands' population rose...
. He also had a mansion in the Memorial area of Houston.
Todd Ackerman of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
said that Brown's popularity as a hand surgeon was often attributed to the "patented Brown technique" of carpal tunnel
Carpal tunnel
In the human body, the carpal tunnel or carpal canal is the passageway on the palmar side of the wrist that connects the forearm to the middle compartment of the deep plane of the palm. The tunnel consists of bones and connective tissue...
surgery, an endoscopic surgery for the wrist. The Brown Hand Center advertisements and website credited him with inventing the technique. The materials contrast the Brown technique with more traditional surgery, which requires stitches. Dr. Robert Szabo, the president of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand
American Society for Surgery of the Hand
The American Society for Surgery of the Hand was founded in 1946 to facilitate the exchange of information related to problems of the hand. It is the oldest and largest medical specialty society in the United States devoted to the care of the hand....
and the chief hand surgeon of the University of California-Davis School of Medicine, said that Brown's business has "nothing unique" "in regards to the surgeries they perform or helping hand patients generally." Ackerman said that Szabo and other orthopedic surgeons say that Brown's claim to a special technique is based on the fact that he patented his own surgical instruments. They said that Brown's instruments are very similar to instruments used by other hand surgeons.
In Houston Brown was well known for starring in television advertisements that show him with Sophie, his baby daughter. Ackerman said that Brown "made a lucrative business by portraying himself as a medical pioneer dedicated to principles of family, compassion and kindness" and that he had a "family-man image". Ackerman added that "But in reality, he appears possessed by personal demons — drugs, sex, violence — that have threatened his professional career and destroyed his family life."
In 2002 the Texas Medical Board
Texas Medical Board
The Texas Medical Board is the state agency mandated to regulate the practice of medicine by M.D.'s and D.O.'s in Texas. It is located in Austin, Texas, and consists of 12 physician members and seven public members appointed for a six-year term by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate...
placed Brown on probation due to "concerns he had an alcohol or chemical dependency" and for beating Darlina Barone, his third wife. In 2002 he had been charged with and convicted of beating her.
In 2006, after Brown tested positive for cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, the Texas Medical Board revoked his license to practice medicine.
In 2008 Brown received the Republican Congressional Medal of Distinction. As part of the award he had a dinner with President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and a lunch with Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
. In 2010 he threw the first pitch at a Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
game. Ackerman said that the marital and drug use controversies did not "put a damper on Brown's favor among the powerful."
Brown Hand Center
As of 2010 the Brown Hand Center has locations in Houston, Dallas, AustinAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Las Vegas, and Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. In 2010 Ackerman said "For all of Brown's troubles, his business continues to thrive." One of Barone's divorce attorneys said in September 2010 that his businesses were expected to gross about $45 million in a 12 month period afterwards. Tommy Fibich, a law attorney, said that the projected figure is higher than the $15 and $30 million annual grosses that the business had in approximately five years. As of 2010 the Brown Hand Center advertising promotes Brown's medical background and mentions that he has a medical degree, but Ackerman said that the advertisements "stop short of identifying him as a practicing doctor" The advertisements say that Brown trained the doctors who work at the clinic and had been "retired." Seth Chandler, a University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
professor of law, assessed whether the advertisements violate the Texas Medical Practice Act. Chandler concluded that "It's a close call. The ads are misleading, but I don't see a slam dunk for anyone looking to prosecute."
External links
- The Hand Center
- Dulai, Shaminder. "Arrested hand surgeon forfeits parental rights to 2 children." Houston ChronicleHouston ChronicleThe Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
. Saturday August 28, 2011. - Rogers, Brian. "Ex-Houston hand surgeon accused in wife's assault." Houston ChronicleHouston ChronicleThe Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
. Tuesday August 24, 2010.