According to a new report, the late comedian's personal doctor took a selfie when she was under anesthesia moments before she went into a cardiac arrest.
- September 17, 2014
AceShowbiz -
New info related to Joan Rivers' cardiac arrest which led to her death earlier this months has surfaced. According to a Tuesday, September 16 report by CNN, the late comedian's personal doctor snapped a selfie in the procedure room moments before performing a biopsy on her vocal cords.
According to a source who is familiar with the investigation, a staff member at Yorkville Endoscopy clinic, the facility which treated Rivers before her condition got critical, told investigators that the unnamed doctor took the photo when Rivers was under anesthesia. After taking the photo, the doctor performed the biopsy.
According to the source, Rivers went to the clinic on August 28 for a scheduled endoscopy by gastroenterologist Dr. Lawrence Cohen. The procedure was carried out by inserting a camera down the throat to help diagnose her problems with hoarse voice and sore throat.
The source also shared similar account to a previous report, saying that the unnamed doctor, who is Rivers' personal ear-nose-throat physician, performed the unplanned biopsy without her consent following the procedure. It later caused swelling to the vocal cords and blocked her airway. Rivers passed away a week later on September 4 at the age of 81.
The Manhattan clinic has denied that they did "a biopsy of the vocal cords" to their patients. They additionally said, "General anesthesia has never been administered at Yorkville Endoscopy. The type of sedation used at Yorkville Endoscopy is monitored anesthesia care. Our anesthesiologists utilize light to moderate sedation."
In related news, Rivers' rep has denied that the person in an audio recording posted by Page Six on Tuesday was Rivers. Previously, it was reported that the recording was taken for a promo for Brad Zimmerman's upcoming off-Broadway show, "My Son the Waiter, a Jewish Tragedy". In the audio, the woman complained about her voice.
"The recording is a fraud. Joan never made any such tape. This is a publicity stunt that was created by Brad Zimmerman and his public relations representative, Beck Lee, and is wholly disrespectful to the memory of Joan Rivers," the rep told the site.
