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OGDEN — A Farmington neurosurgeon was arrested Thursday evening after police said witnesses reported he touched an unconscious woman's breasts during a surgery at Ogden Regional Medical Center.
Bryson Swain Smith, 65, was arrested for investigation of two counts of sexual battery.
Smith was involved in a surgery for a woman on Oct. 11. A witness told police Smith placed his hands on the woman's breast, over a thin surgical sheet, and "squeezed" the breast for less than two seconds, according to a police booking affidavit. At the time, the patient was laying on her back on the operating table.
The witness told police prior to grabbing the woman, Smith had said something similar to "it's like we're sisters. It's like the girls are hanging out," the affidavit states.
The witness told police everyone in the operating room was silent, possibly due to shock at the incident, and then Smith asked them not to report him, according to the affidavit.
A second witness reported to police that Smith had been talking about inappropriate subjects prior to the incident and had said he was bisexual.
"The witness told (police) that during the conversation ... he made a statement somewhere along the lines of, 'I swing both ways which is why I can do this,' at this point in the statement, the witness said that Bryson grabbed both of the victim's breasts, 'and this,' at this point the witness told (police) that Bryson began making a circular motion over the area of his genitals," the police affidavit states.
The witness told police at another point in the surgery when it is common for doctors to place their wrists on a patient's chest or breast to remove an incision, Smith was "patting" his wrists on the woman's breasts, which is not normal for the procedure, and commented on the "nice pads" for him to rest his wrist on, the affidavit alleges.
A MountainStar hospitals spokeswoman said in a statement Smith is no longer a member of its medical staff.
"The hospital takes allegations of this type very seriously. Upon learning about this allegation involving an affiliated physician, the hospital immediately investigated and closely followed hospital policies and protocols, including notifying the patient and making reports to law enforcement and appropriate agencies," the statement said.
Smith is not currently listed online as a doctor with the Ogden Clinic, although Google Maps and a previous malpractice lawsuit that was dismissed, suggest he worked there. The office is closed on Saturday and KSL was not able to contact them. KSL also reached out to lawyers who previously represented Smith, but did not receive a response.
