The shocking death of Kanye West’s mother has made worldwide headlines, with many people trying to figure out what possibly could have happened. Donda West, 58, had reportedly gone under the knife for a breast reduction and a tummy tuck. The surgery, performed by Dr. Jan Adams, was supposed to take four hours, but instead took nearly eight, prompting a lot of speculation about what actually went wrong during the surgery. CelebTV.com reported that the California Medical Board has attempted to revoke Dr. Adams’s board certification recently due to several DUI arrests in the last few years. It’s not possible to say if Donda died as a result of a previously existing medical issue, or if something went wrong during the surgery, or if something was wrong with the surgeon himself.

Rap star Kanye West’s mother, Donda West, had a tummy tuck and breast reduction performed by cosmetic surgeon Dr. Jan Adams before her death, according to the Web site TMZ.com. Adams told TMZ that he was not responsible for her death, but that she may have died from a heart attack, pulmonary embolism or massive vomiting.

Another plastic surgeon, Andre Aboolian, told ABC News that West consulted him for surgery, too, but he deemed her a health risk and wouldn’t operate unless she got clearance from an internist. Aboolian said he “insisted that she see an internist before he would entertain the surgery because she had a condition that could have caused a heart attack.”

Adams also told TMZ that West consulted with him over a period of four months, often changing her mind about the surgery, according to an article on the site.

[From ABC News]

A lot of people seem to view plastic surgery is pretty safe these days because it’s so common, it’s elective, and it’s advertised everywhere. Somehow it makes it seem like it’s not “real” surgery – which it absolutely is. Just because the surgery might be for something superficial (versus heart or brain surgery) doesn’t make surgery in and of itself superficial. It’s still complicated, and you’re still being cut into or opened up. It’s not something to be entered into lightly, and it sounds like Donda definitely took that into consideration, since she changed her mind several times.

Nearly 200 people die every year from plastic surgery complications. Today, about 2 million cosmetic procedures are done in the United States each year. That’s a startling 446 percent increase in cosmetic surgeries since 1997.

This is in part because “procedures are much safer, more readily available and more affordable,” said Dr. Allen D. Rosen, spokesperson for the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS).

Death as a result from cosmetic plastic surgery is relatively uncommon, however. Only about one out of every 60,000 surgeries result in death, according to ASPS. But like any surgery, there are potential risks involved. The most notorious case, perhaps, is that of best-selling author Olivia Goldsmith, 54, author of “The First Wives’ Club.” Goldsmith, who frequently wrote about Botox sessions and routinely going under the knife, ultimately died as a result of one of her many cosmetic procedures. Comedian Kathy Griffin admitted she had to be rushed to the emergency room after a liposuction procedure.

[From ABC News]

One would think that a celebrity would go to the very best cosmetic surgeons out there – and they’re still no exception to complications and death. You hear a lot of horror stories about women going overseas for discount medical procedures, or random people offering Botox in their basements in Queens, and then someone ends up dead. Most people have the sense to avoid those situations, but we forget that, even if we take all the right precautions, there’s still an inherent risk you’re taking on. Hopefully Kanye and his family will find some peace.