Joan Rivers 'stopped breathing' in surgery

[BetteDavisEyes]

Broadway League backs down, agrees to honor Rivers

MARK KENNEDY, AP
3 hours ago

NEW YORK (AP) — In the end, Broadway's leaders saw the light — and decided to turn them off.

The Broadway League, which represents theater owners and producers, reversed itself Tuesday and chose to get Broadway's theaters to dim their lights in honor of Joan Rivers.

The league had said Monday that Rivers did not meet the criteria for the honor, triggering a controversy when several theater owners said they would turn off their marquee lights Tuesday anyway. An online petition was launched and several celebrities came out in favor of granting the honor.

The league changed course Tuesday afternoon, saying the lights would dim at 6:45 p.m. for one minute...

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/entertainment/20140909/US--Joan.Rivers-Broadway/

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...iopsy-cut-air-supply-source-article-1.1934178

"Joan Rivers had surprise throat biopsy that cut off her air supply, source claims"

"The routine surgical procedure Joan Rivers was supposed to undergo turned deadly when a doctor who arrived at the clinic with the legendary comic’s entourage performed an unplanned biopsy on her vocal cords, a medical source who was briefed on the case told The News."

"Such a procedure is not supposed to be performed outside of a hospital, according to medical experts."

 

[Xara]

This totally sucks.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...r-biopsy-star-doctor-noticed-vocal-cords.html

 

[jjenny]

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...iopsy-cut-air-supply-source-article-1.1934178

"Joan Rivers had surprise throat biopsy that cut off her air supply, source claims"

"The routine surgical procedure Joan Rivers was supposed to undergo turned deadly when a doctor who arrived at the clinic with the legendary comic’s entourage performed an unplanned biopsy on her vocal cords, a medical source who was briefed on the case told The News."

"Such a procedure is not supposed to be performed outside of a hospital, according to medical experts."

If that is true, shouldn't there be criminal charges? Like with Michael Jackson's doctor?

 

[Isabelle]

If that is true, shouldn't there be criminal charges? Like with Michael Jackson's doctor?

Unsure they would stick. Sounds to me like staff at this facility were unable to manage this type of crisis. Don't know if relaxants were tried that would block spasm of the vocal cords and allow oxygen to ether the lungs. A last ditch effort would have been a crash tracheotomy. I can not imagine why this was not done. Less than competent medical staff is a real possibility. Medical staff in a free standing facility (non hospital) must be able to manage the same types of situations related to ABC's as a hospital would. And it certainly does seem that a loss of airway is the cause. That staff should have been able to manage that, at the very least!

ETA: I strongly suspect a lowly staff member blew the whistle. Kudos to that person.

 

[grammieto5]

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...iopsy-cut-air-supply-source-article-1.1934178

"Joan Rivers had surprise throat biopsy that cut off her air supply, source claims"

"The routine surgical procedure Joan Rivers was supposed to undergo turned deadly when a doctor who arrived at the clinic with the legendary comic’s entourage performed an unplanned biopsy on her vocal cords, a medical source who was briefed on the case told The News."

"Such a procedure is not supposed to be performed outside of a hospital, according to medical experts."

I wonder if this Doctor was her own Doctor, or was he truly just "a Doctor" Either way this is horrible! This has got to be so horrible for her family, to think this should not have happened, to think Joan Rivers would be alive right now, laughing and making fun of everyone and herself, and she would be making all of us laugh! I wonder what will become of this Doctor, who would/should have known this procedure was to only be performed in a hospital?

 

[popsicle]

[h=1]At Surgery Clinic, Rush to Save Joan Rivers’s Life[/h]
A defibrillator had been hooked up to her and a breathing tube had been placed in her windpipe by the clinic staff, the officials said. She was receiving medications and CPR in an attempt to revive her. Firefighters took over from the clinic staff and started to provide CPR.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/10/n...n-rivers.html?smid=tw-nytimeshealth&seid=auto

 

[SStarr33]

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...iopsy-cut-air-supply-source-article-1.1934178

"Joan Rivers had surprise throat biopsy that cut off her air supply, source claims"

"The routine surgical procedure Joan Rivers was supposed to undergo turned deadly when a doctor who arrived at the clinic with the legendary comic’s entourage performed an unplanned biopsy on her vocal cords, a medical source who was briefed on the case told The News."

"Such a procedure is not supposed to be performed outside of a hospital, according to medical experts."

Told ya. This is complete BS--she should be alive right now.

 

[Isabelle]

[h=1]At Surgery Clinic, Rush to Save Joan Rivers’s Life[/h]
A defibrillator had been hooked up to her and a breathing tube had been placed in her windpipe by the clinic staff, the officials said. She was receiving medications and CPR in an attempt to revive her. Firefighters took over from the clinic staff and started to provide CPR.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/10/n...n-rivers.html?smid=tw-nytimeshealth&seid=auto

My question would be, how long did it take to place the endotracheal tube?

 

[Xara]

Isabelle...if I may ask you a question?
In your experience....would she have been awake or sedated? I've heard it both ways and was just wondering.
TIA.

 

[Xara]

My question would be, how long did it take to place the endotracheal tube?

Yes, me too.....and also...how long before 911 was called?

This is all so tragic, and needless.
She really should still be here.

 

[nrdsb4]

[h=1]At Surgery Clinic, Rush to Save Joan Rivers’s Life[/h]
A defibrillator had been hooked up to her and a breathing tube had been placed in her windpipe by the clinic staff, the officials said. She was receiving medications and CPR in an attempt to revive her. Firefighters took over from the clinic staff and started to provide CPR.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/10/n...n-rivers.html?smid=tw-nytimeshealth&seid=auto

I wonder who these "officials" are who are speaking about the patient without permission from her daughter.

“We would love to set the record straight from all the misinformation that’s out there,” Dr. Daniel J. Adler, a colleague of her personal physician, Dr. Lawrence B. Cohen, at Yorkville Endoscopy, said this week. “Unfortunately, our lips are sealed.”

Marcia Horowitz, a spokeswoman for the clinic, also declined to comment on Ms. Rivers’s case, saying federal privacy laws prevented her or the doctors from speaking about it without the permission of her family, who have released little information.

 

[Isabelle]

Isabelle...if I may ask you a question?
In your experience....would she have been awake or sedated? I've heard it both ways and was just wondering.
TIA.

I would think she would have been sedated and a local numbing spray inside her throat. Would have to prevent gagging with possible vomiting and aspiration. Am sure she would not have had anything to eat or drink after midnight the night before, but there are still fluids in the stomach.

 

[Isabelle]

I wonder who these "officials" are who are speaking about the patient without permission from her daughter.

For all we know her daughter may be the person who leaked the information.

 

[nrdsb4]

For all we know her daughter may be the person who leaked the information.

Maybe, but doesn't seem likely as those comments seem to imply that the clinic was doing what they were supposed to do in order to handle the situation, and from what I've read, Melissa is already talking about suing them. Obviously that is hearsay from "insiders" as well.

 

[Intermezzo]

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...iopsy-cut-air-supply-source-article-1.1934178

"Joan Rivers had surprise throat biopsy that cut off her air supply, source claims"

"The routine surgical procedure Joan Rivers was supposed to undergo turned deadly when a doctor who arrived at the clinic with the legendary comic’s entourage performed an unplanned biopsy on her vocal cords, a medical source who was briefed on the case told The News."

"Such a procedure is not supposed to be performed outside of a hospital, according to medical experts."

Thanks for posting the article..

BBM

So a Doctor that accompanied her "entourage" was given access or permission to enter the procedure room and also to perform a biopsy during the endoscopy?????...

 

[nrdsb4]

Thanks for posting the article..

BBM

So a Doctor that accompanied her "entourage" was given access or permission to enter the procedure room and also to perform a biopsy during the endoscopy?????...

I work at an endoscopy center, and I can't imagine this happening unless it was discussed beforehand and made part of the consent form. Some of our docs (colon rectal surgeons) only do colonscopies, so when we need to do a double procedure, both doctors are on the consent form, and each potential procedure is described, with risks included.

All of the staff involved may have done everything according to SOP, but they may run into trouble if the doctor who performed the biopsy did not have written consent and if the potential for vocal cord biopsy was not included in the consent form, along with all of its inherent risks notated.

Also, and I admit I am not conversant on all requirements mandated by the board which oversees ambulatory surgery centers, but I would think this "personal physician" would have had to have officially and formally obtained "privileges" to practice there.

 

[Intermezzo]

I wonder if this Doctor was her own Doctor, or was he truly just "a Doctor" Either way this is horrible! This has got to be so horrible for her family, to think this should not have happened, to think Joan Rivers would be alive right now, laughing and making fun of everyone and herself, and she would be making all of us laugh! I wonder what will become of this Doctor, who would/should have known this procedure was to only be performed in a hospital?

according to the article this doctor identified himself as an ear, nose and throat specialist

Issues raised...and I am sure there are more...
Medical Malpractice on the part of the clinic and the doctor that came with Joan
Patient Consent? with the clinic performing the endoscopy and then allowing this specialist to perform the biopsy????

 

[Intermezzo]

I work at an endoscopy center, and I can't imagine this happening unless it was discussed beforehand and made part of the consent form. Some of our docs (colon rectal surgeons) only do colonscopies, so when we need to do a double procedure, both doctors are on the consent form, and each potential procedure is described, with risks included.

All of the staff involved may have done everything according to SOP, but they may run into trouble if the doctor who performed the biopsy did not have written consent and if the potential for vocal biopsy was not included in the consent form, along with all of its inherent risks notated.

Also, and I admit I am not conversant on all requirements mandated by the board which oversees ambulatory surgery centers, but I would think this "personal physician" would have had to have officially and formally obtained "privileges" to practice there.

I also work in an Endoscopy unit, in a hospital, and I agree with your post
I have concerns if Joan had given prior written consent for this specialist to not only be in the room but to perform any medical procedure during the endoscopy and did the law allow him to have 'privilege' at this clinic.??

The same applies to where I work in regards to the Surgeons, we have 6 surgeons who rotate into our department 2 days per week, they usually only perform colonoscopies ..there are 1 or 2 that perform EGD's but not too often... and rarely do they perform a Double.

 

[jjenny]

Unsure they would stick. Sounds to me like staff at this facility were unable to manage this type of crisis. Don't know if relaxants were tried that would block spasm of the vocal cords and allow oxygen to ether the lungs. A last ditch effort would have been a crash tracheotomy. I can not imagine why this was not done. Less than competent medical staff is a real possibility. Medical staff in a free standing facility (non hospital) must be able to manage the same types of situations related to ABC's as a hospital would. And it certainly does seem that a loss of airway is the cause. That staff should have been able to manage that, at the very least!

ETA: I strongly suspect a lowly staff member blew the whistle. Kudos to that person.

Clinic denies it. So it would appear to have been a bogus report.

"The clinic Joan Rivers visited prior to her ultimately fatal hospitalization has denied reports that they performed an unplanned throat biopsy during a routine endoscopy on the beloved comedienne."

Read more: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity...erforming-throat-biopsy-2014109#ixzz3CxtMPyJv
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