As many New Jersey residents are aware, two months ago comedic legend and celebrity personality Joan Rivers passed away after undergoing a fairly routine surgery. In the weeks that followed Rivers’ death, there were questions about how the procedure was performed, and there were some not-so-subtle hints that River’s daughter Melissa was considering filing a lawsuit against the clinic and doctors responsible for her mother’s care.
Now that potential lawsuit, which is believed to be en route in the next month, has some more firepower. A federal inquiry into Rivers’ death has found that the clinic and the doctors handling Rivers’ surgery made numerous errors relating to safety protocols and Rivers’ care.
There are numerous damning bits of evidence. First, a doctor failed to notice that Rivers’ blood pressure was deteriorating for 15 minutes. Then the anesthesiologist noted that he gave Rivers more than two times the recommended amount of Propofol for a woman Rivers’ size — and then changed his notes to a more adequate number later. They also didn’t weigh Rivers’ to get an accurate reading on how much Propofol they should give her.
There were also medical personnel in the surgery room who did not have the credentials to be there, and there were people taking photos of Rivers before the surgery even though Rivers did not authorize the photos. And the ultimate error: a surgical procedure was performed on Rivers that she did not approve.
It all amounts to what appears to be some serious medical malpractice.
Source: Gawker, “Federal Inquiry Finds Joan Rivers’ Doctors Made Series of Serious Errors,” Gabrielle Bluestone, Nov. 11, 2014
