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passed away last ThursdayShe had been transferred to the hospital from Yorkville Endoscopy, a clinic in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, when a complication in a routine endoscopy surgery had sent her into cardiac arrest on August 28th. It has since been reported that the doctors involved in the endoscopy surgery may have performed an operation they were not authorised to do.
During the surgery, one of the doctor’s noticed ‘something’ on one of the Fashion Police host’s vocal chords, a medical source told the New York Daily News. Another doctor offered to perform an immediate biopsy, a procedure that “should only be done in hospital. If she had been in a hospital when it happened, she would have been okay”, according to the source.
Apparently, the biopsy suddenly caused the comedian’s vocal chords’ to seize, cutting off her air supply and sending her into cardiac arrest, at which point Joan was rushed to the Mount Sinai hospital. She died a week later.
Within hours of the New York Daily News story, the Yorkville Endoscopy Clinic (who usually deal with digestive-related health issues) released a statement claiming that “a biopsy of the vocal chords has never been performed at Yorkville Endoscopy”.
The clinic also said that every patient goes through a screening process, with examinations by a gastroenterologist, an anaesthesiologist and a nurse before treatment. When asked for further comment, the clinic refused to add anything.
An investigation is being made into Joan’s death by the State Health Department. According to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, the exact cause of death is still unknown.
Her funeral was held in New York on Sunday, in exactly the star-studded style Rivers had always said she wanted.
We will keep you updated on any other facts, as they come to light.
Top Comments
When did death become so unnatural? She was 81, and having surgery - death is always a risk. I just imagine a different outcome - where a biopsy of her vocal cords was done while she was under, and cancer was found and able to be treated early, ultimately saving her life. There would be no outcry then, even though the initial actions were the same.
bad attitude to have. she was otherwise healthy and there was no need for her death.just because she was 81 doesn't mean hee life has less value and clinic staff have the right to do whatever they please. speaking as a health care professional, one would think that the staff shouldn't have even thought to attempt a procedure out of their scope simply BECAUSE of her fragile age. protocol is in place for a reason.it would have been very easy for the staff to note something unusual on her vocal cords and have her follow up.at the hospital a week later.
A lump on her vocal cords is far more like to be a vocal nodule than cancer I would think. Her voice does have a raspy quality which would make this a likelihood. To die due to an unauthorised biopsy of a vocal nodule is pretty extreme.
I know she wanted a "celebrity funeral" but there is something so wrong about paparazzi being there taking so many photos :/