The anesthesiologist who was among three physicians attending Joan's throat procedure is identified as Renuka Reddy Bankulla.
- Jan 5, 2015
AceShowbiz - The anesthesiologist who was responsible for Joan Rivers' throat procedure has been identified. According to Page Six, the anesthesiologist, who reportedly could prevent Joan's death, was Renuka Reddy Bankulla.
Renuka was among three physicians attending the comedian's throat procedure alongside former Yorkville Endoscopy medical director Lawrence Cohen and NYC ear, nose and throat specialist Gwen Korovin. Yorkville Endoscopy said Renuka, who was educated in India and trained at Flushing Hospital and Beth Israel Medical Center, was no longer employed at the clinic.
When approached by reporters outside her house in Scarsdale, Renuka jumped in her car and left. Her lawyer Bruce Brady refused to give any comments on the issue. "Neither Dr. Bankulla nor I have any comment on this subject," Bruce told the site.
According to the site, Renuka declined to cooperate with investigators for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services during their probe into the matter. She told probers that she gave Joan 120 miligrams of the anesthesia drug propofol instead of the supposed 300 miligrams indicated in medical records, claiming that she had falsely "double-clicked" on the computerized records.
According to a federal report in which she was identified as "Staff #2," Renuka "failed to identify deteriorating vital signs and provide timely intervention during the procedure." She also failed to indicate Joan's weight, which is important to choosing the amount of anesthesia to administer.
Melissa's lawyer Jeffrey Bloom refused to comment on the issue.
Joan passed away on September 4 at the age of 81, several days after she went into coma following cardiac and respiratory arrest during a throat procedure at Yorkville Endoscopy clinic.
