Joan Rivers stops breathing during surgery - rushed to hospital

[Froogy]

i just think that if she's 81, no doctor should have let her have anything done as an outpatient procedure.

I agree, but with Medicare, it is so common that they wont hold them over night. My 94 year old Granny just had an out patient procedure where they had to go into her groin area and do some procedure to open a vein. Thankfully, she is doing fine after a week of worrying.

I'm sure Joan has many resources outside of Medicare, so not sure why they went with that route for her.

[sprynkles]

I wonder if the throat procedure was really why she was there. Maybe Melissa didn't want it out there that Joan was undergoing yet more plastic surgery. Although I don't have any reason to not believe it was a throat thing. Her voice has sounded strained for years. Does anyone know what her throat problem was?

[tulip]

My sister went in for a routine surgery and ended up almost dying from complications. You just never know and now with all the insurance restrictions, etc. they are being much more cavalier, in my opinion, with where and how they do things. Thank God my sister was in a hospital when it happened and they didn't rush her home.

There is a certain age at which I don't think they should take any chances -- going under is dangerous.

[sluce]

It happened at the offices of an Otolaryngologists from what I have read.

[sprynkles]

Hmmm,

WHAT ARE THE SEVEN AREAS OF EXPERTISE IN THE FIELD OF OTOLARYNGOLOGY?

• Allergy: treatment by medication, immunotherapy (allergy shots) and/or avoidance of pollen, dust, mold, food, and other sensitivities that affect the ear, nose, and throat.
  Treating: hay fever, seasonal and perennial rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, laryngitis, sore throat, otitis media, dizziness
• Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: cosmetic, functional, and reconstructive surgical treatment of abnormalities of the face and neck and ear.
  Treating: deviated septum, rhinoplasty (nose), face lift, cleft palate, drooping eyelids, hair loss and other ear deformities.
• Head and Neck: cancerous and noncancerous tumors in the head and neck (nose/sinuses, mouth, throat, voice box and upper esophagus), including the thyroid and parathyroid.
  Treating: lump in the neck or thyroid, cancer of the voice box.
• Laryngology: disorders of the throat, including voice and swallowing problems.
  Treating: sore throat, hoarseness, swallowing disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), infections and tumors.
• Otology/Neurotology: diseases of the ear, including trauma (injury), infection, benign tumors, and nerve pathway disorders, which affect hearing and balance.
  Treating: ear infection; swimmer’s ear; hearing loss; ear, face, or neck pain; dizziness, ringing in the ears (tinnitus).
• Pediatric Otolaryngology: diseases in children with special ENT problems including birth defects of the head and neck and developmental delays.
  Treating: ear infection (otitis media), tonsil and adenoid infection, airway problems, asthma and allergy/sinus disease, neck tumors.
• Rhinology: disorders of the nose and sinuses.
  Treating: sinus disorder, nose bleed, stuffy nose, loss of smell, polyps, tumors.

What Is an Otolaryngologist? | American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

[Palermo]

Wow. If it was for some of that they will never admit it.

[SHELLEE]

What bothers me is that a) this didn't sound like some kind of risky, invasive surgery, and b) I'm not aware of her having some kind of pre-existing condition that could have led to complications while under sedation. We had a girl out here go into cardiac arrest while having her wisdom teeth extracted. In the stories related to events like this, it seems like what happens is that at some point, the patient does not seem fully sedated, so additional anesthesia is given, and then the patient becomes hypoxic or goes into cardiac arrest. Examples:

Woodstock: Parents of teen who died after wisdom tooth surgery complications suing for medical malpractice - baltimoresun.com

California man, 24, dies after going into cardiac arrest while having wisdom teeth pulled - NY Daily News

Hawaii mother in coma following surgery on wisdom teeth - NY Daily News

Note to self - do NOT have wisdom teeth pulled

Wow. If it was for some of that they will never admit it.

They do laryngology which is throat surgery, what she was said to have been there for.

[McJag]

Oh for petes sake-neither Joan or Melissa have ever pulled any punches about plastic surgery and I doubt they would start now. It was just as they said,IMO.

[missbazilb]

I remember watching her on some talk show a long time ago and they were talking about her having Vagus throat, and making the obvious Vegas jokes. Maybe it had to do with that.

I'm one of those people that wakes up during anaesthesia. Dental freezing also rarely works for me. I hope I never need major surgery. My dad had surgery once and while he was under he sat up and ripped the doctors shirt off. The doctor said it was something he'd never forget.

[Beeyotch]

Well, any surgery with anesthesia is always a risk, no matter what. Risk increases with age and other factors, but it could be a healthy person and the dr. may not even have done anything wrong, totally unpredictable things happen and it can still go wrong. Surgery is not a joke.

[Calico Kid]

Maybe she had a local anesthetic, and maybe that's why she didn't have the procedure at the hospital. She couldn't have a breathing tube since she was having throat surgery. Maybe whatever happened has nothing to do with the surgery. We just don't know.

[sluce]

https://celebrity.yahoo.com/blogs/ce...171331175.html

Joan Rivers Surrounded By 'Flowers, Bows, Plants' and Love in Private Hospital Suite
By Taryn Ryder1 hour agoYahoo Celebrity

Although Joan Rivers is now resting comfortably, her only daughter, Melissa, potentially faces a tough decision ahead.

According to the New York Daily News, the 46-year-old may soon have to choose if and when to take her mother off life support as the Fashion Police host is said to be completely dependent upon machines.

The 81-year-old legendary comedian has been hospitalized since last Thursday when she stopped breathing while having a routine throat surgery at a New York City clinic.

"My mother has been moved out of intensive care and into a private room where she is being kept comfortable," Melissa said in a statement on Wednesday. "Thank you for your continued support."

Of course, she is being "kept comfortable" in true Joan fashion.

Her close friend, longtime gossip columnist Cindy Adams, told the newspaper that Rivers was upgraded to a larger private suite that was "decorated by celebrity wedding planner Preston Bailey with flowers, bows, plants." Joan — who is apparently in full hair and makeup — also has a white faux mink blanket with her and the Oklahoma! soundtrack on CD in the room.

Conflicting reports were spreading this week about Joan's condition after she was placed in a medically induced coma. Melissa clarified the speculation in a statement on Tuesday: "On behalf of my mother and our family, we are extremely grateful for all the love and support we've received. At this time she does remain on life support."

The New York Health Department is investigating circumstances at the clinic, Yorkville Endoscopy, where Rivers went into cardiac arrest. Spokesman James O'Hare said on Thursday that the department is looking into "the whole matter," but declined to discuss specifics.

E! Entertainment, the home of Rivers's weekly show Fashion Police, also released a statement that the show will go on hiatus for two weeks.

"We will not be producing a Fashion Police this week or next as we await Joan and Melissa's return in front and behind the camera," the network said. "E! will be airing two E! From Fashion Week specials that will deliver the latest news and information from the highly anticipated event."

[Witchywoman]

When Melissa sues all the details of the procedure will be common knowledge. Let nature take it's course, improve or not. Since Joan went for the big money and pretty much let it all hang out I haven't been a fan. They both irritate the hell out of me.

[czb]

i didn't know cindy adams was still alive?!

[ConstanceSpry]

^^I didn't know that either, thought she was long gone. Looked her up and she is 84. And Liz Smith is still alive too, at 91. This bodes well for all of us gossipers.