New York health officials are launching an investigation into the Yorkville Endoscopy clinic on Manhattan’s Upper East Side where Joan Rivers underwent the routine throat surgery that ultimately led to her death.
Rivers, 81, stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest while undergoing the outpatient throat surgery at the New York clinic. She was subsequently rushed to nearby Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was placed into a medically induced coma and survived on life support for more than a week before she passed away.
Upon review of the incident, New York health officials are investigating the minor surgery that was to have her home later that same day, Aug. 28, reported NBC News. The Medical Examiner is also looking into the legendary comic’s death.
The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities is checking Yorkville Endoscopy’s accreditation.
Before undergoing the surgery at Yorkville Endoscopy, Rivers had received a clean bill of health, according to reports.
“Joan was given full medical clearance, including approval from her cardiologist,” an insider told RadarOnline. “Apart from all of the cosmetic procedures Joan had had, she was in very good health for an 81-year-old woman. There was no indication from a medical standpoint that Joan should have suffered from any complications. It was a routine procedure that should have taken less than an hour, two hours in recovery, and then she would have gone home the same day.”
Despite Rivers' relatively good health, at her age, complications during surgery are always a risk. Some question whether or not the fashion critic would have survived the surgical complication had she undergone the endoscopy at a hospital, rather than a clinic.
“If Joan had the endoscopy at a hospital, she could have survived, because they are equipped to deal with a patient that crashes or suddenly has a problem,” an insider said. “Outpatient clinics just aren’t equipped to handle those sort of emergencies, but Joan trusted her gastroenterologist, and had no reservations about having the endoscopy done at Yorkville.”
The source added, “Even though it only took less than ten minutes to transfer Joan to Mount Sinai, that was critical time that was lost in transit. Melissa is just trying to process how this all happened. It’s just beyond sad and tragic.”
Rivers died on Thursday at Mount Sinai Hospital. Her daughter, Melissa Rivers, confirmed her death in a statement in which she expressed thanks on behalf of her and her son Cooper for the support they received leading up to Rivers' passing. “My mother’s greatest joy in life was to make people laugh,” wrote Melissa. “Although that is difficult to do right now, I know her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon."
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