Joan Rivers’ Doctor May Not Have Followed Protocol

The New York Daily News is reporting this morning that Joan River's doctor allegedly interrupted an endoscopy to do an unplanned biopsy.

Joan River's doctor was performing an endoscopy to find out why her voice was becoming more raspy, when he found something in her throat. He asked the clinic if he could use their instruments to perform a biopsy that ended up cutting off her air supply. This procedure, according to the source, should have only been done in a hospital.  Her doctor wasn't the one performing the endoscopy, but jumped in to perform the biopsy...another big "no, no".  Rivers herself only signed off on the endoscopy. The clinic still allowed the doctor to perform the biopsy.

The clinic stated its medical facility is a federally and state licensed facility and that it has the same level of life-saving and resuscitation devices found in any hospital-based operating room. Rivers was under anesthesia when something went wrong and the clinic had to call 911. Paramedics were on the scene less than 10 minutes and brought Rivers to Mount Sinai Hospital where she was put on life support.

Investigations are still underway.