Joan Rivers is in critical condition following surgery (update: she’s now stable)

Opening night of Broadway's A Time To Kill-Arrivals
Update: Rivers has been upgraded to stable condition, thank goodness. This old bird will be back mocking celebrities in no time.


Comedian Joan Rivers, 81, is currently in critical condition at Mount Sinai hospital in New York following complications from vocal cord surgery. TMZ reports that Joan went into cardiac arrest and stopped breathing at the clinic where she was having surgery. She was then rushed to hospital. As of now, it’s unknown whether doctors were able to restart her heart. We will update this story when more news comes out. Joan’s daughter is rushing to be by her side. Here’s TMZ’s report:

8:49 AM PT — The NYPD tells us … Joan is currently in critical condition.

We’re told … at one point, Joan’s heart stopped beating.

It’s unclear if doctors were able to restart the comic’s heart.

8:15 AM PT — We’re told an emergency call was placed to 911 at 9:39 AM ET and the caller said, “We have somebody in either cardiac or respiratory arrest.”
update-grey-gray-bar
Joan Rivers was rushed to a hospital in New York City moments ago … after she stopped breathing during a surgery on her throat … TMZ has learned.

We’re told Rivers was undergoing the throat procedure in a clinic (specifically on her vocal chords) … when she stopped breathing during the surgery.

Sources say 81-year-old Rivers was rushed to Mount Sinai hospital in New York.

We’re told her daughter Melissa is on her way to New York.

[From TMZ]

That’s scary! Joan is a tough gal and we’re hoping she pulls through this. We’re thinking of her and waiting to hear her acerbic wit on E! again. Hang in there Joan!

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95 Responses to “Joan Rivers is in critical condition following surgery (update: she’s now stable)”

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  1. PunkyMomma says:

    Love or hate her, Joan has paved the way for women in the comedy business. Stay alive, Joan!

  2. Abbott says:

    How does TMZ always get into people’s medical information and why hasn’t anyone stopped this?

    • aims says:

      Really good question.

      • Dana says:

        That’s public information

      • Ag says:

        @Dana – it’s not. your medical records are legally protected by HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), and can usually be only released to specific parties with your specific written consent.

    • Ag says:

      that entire outfit needs to be shut down, they’re so sketchy.

      • LAK says:

        Considering Warner Bros is one of their biggest funders, TMZ is not going to be shut down any time soon.

        Also the reason for the deep TMZ pockets to pay ‘sources’.

        A case of hollywood controlling gossip the old fashion way, but fooling the public into thinking it’s a new way and completely independent.

    • Talie says:

      It’s been documented that they pay cash to specific workers in police stations, hospitals, etc.

      • Abbott says:

        Well yeah but how are patients not suing the sh*t out of these places?

      • don't kill me i'm french says:

        @Abbott
        Remember when TMZ released Britney Spears ‘s medical report.The hospital investigated and discovers 1/3 of all medical workers have consulted her medical record.

      • Maria says:

        @Abbott because they would only damage a hospital. im totally against such informations made public, but if they dont know how leaked the info they would only wreak havoc on a hospital and everybody involved and in need. (i know this case wasnt in a hospital, but generally. no company can 100% guarantee that no one will talk)

        the only solution is to ban the reporting on that. amercias press laws are far more about protection of libel and lies and intimate information made public than protecting the rights and dignity of the people who are the victims of the press.
        freedom always comes with responsiblity but the press does not have any. so there needs to be a cut in press freedom. it doesnt shatter a democracy if people dont know about the medical condition of a comedian.

      • blue marie says:

        It’s bullish-t, if it were me, I’d sue the smirk off Levin’ s face

      • mimif says:

        Word blue rosanna marie.

      • MrsB says:

        There are only a very few people legally allowed acess to a patients medical record i.e. only health care workers who are DIRECTLY related to the patient’s care. With the implementation of the electronic health record, every person that accesses the chart is tagged and timestamped. So, it should be fairly easy to narrow down the people who are looking and or selling the info. This leaking of info is not just an ethical violation, is is ILLEGAL.

      • Shannon says:

        A lot of them probably don’t realize they can sue the facility the records were leaked from. And if they do sue, 90% of it we won’t hear about due to out of court settlements and confidentiality clauses in those settlements.

    • Reece says:

      What Talie said.

    • Tiffany :) says:

      I think it is a combination of paying people and surveillance. They have been found bugging courtrooms before, it wouldn’t surprise me if they did it in hospitals, hacked into computer systems etc. as well.

    • mata says:

      We also have to keep in mind that a lot of times the “sources” are the celebrity’s own family, friends, or even public relations machines.

    • doloreschurch says:

      I was shocked by those immediate details too. I also wondered if the doctor performing the procedure at the clinic had admitting privileges to Cedars Sinai.

  3. aims says:

    Joan is a tough bird, and I hope she can pull through this. Wishing her the best. She’s one of my favorites.

    • Sassy says:

      Yes, best wishes on your recovery, Joan. (I just know that she reads CB) I am a huge, huge fan. Saw her only once live, and she was awesome.

  4. Jenns says:

    I will always love Joan. I hope she is ok!

  5. Kiddo says:

    Surgery is no joke at any age, but much more serious at Joan’s age. I think this demonstrates the advantages of being in a hospital instead of an outpatient clinic for procedures. My thoughts are with her daughter.

    • Jeanne says:

      Agreed.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      +1

    • mayamae says:

      Absolutely. I don’t care if Joan was the healthiest 81 year-old in history, it is far too dangerous to operate on her outside of a hospital.

      I also feel for Melissa. She’s an only child and her father committed suicide. I’m sure she’s very close with Joan.

      • Sassy says:

        In a clinic setting, the $$ go directly to the surgeon’s pocket. In a hospital setting, many more go to the hospital. I would never have a procedure in a clinic.

    • Size Does Matter says:

      I’m 36, and I wouldn’t be put under anywhere other than a hospital.

      Radar Online is saying she has been upgraded from critical to stable.

    • Kimble says:

      My first thought exactly – what’s an 80 odd year old woman doing having surgery outside of a hospital????

      I’m only 52 and have never and would never have a surgical procedure outside of a hospital. Craziness!

  6. Kim1 says:

    I’m not a fan but I hope she pulls thru for her family ,friends and fans

  7. BendyWindy says:

    I hope she comes out ok.

  8. Talie says:

    I really hope she makes it, but I have this awful feeling that she is being kept alive until her daughter lands in NY. 🙁

    She has so many years of laughter left, she can’t be done now!!

    • PunkyMomma says:

      It’s happened in my family. Life support so the out-of-town family could be present when the equipment was shut off. It’s horrible. Just horrible.

      • Mia4S says:

        Yes that was unfortunately my first thought too. Best wishes to her and her family. I’d happily be wrong.

      • Dllerma says:

        My sister is an RN, and says that people on ventilators are often put in medically induced comas so they don’t fight the machine. And only people with brain activity need to be put into that coma, so I am hopeful. Many people can come back from all this. I don’t think they were “just keeping her alive” for the family to arrive. She is critical, but stable. That’s a good sign. She needs lots of rest and healing time and the ventilator and induced coma will help help her do that easier! I’m not giving up on her, yet!

    • paola says:

      I agree. Her age is not helping complication during surgery. I hope she’ll come out of this with a sardonic laughter and a black humor comment.

      • Sassy says:

        “Survival of the fittest” applies with Joan and anyone else who is still kicking at 81.

        If you are still alive after 80 you are one of the toughest old birds around and have outlived all the people with health issues. So the surgeons comment is so true.

    • Christin says:

      I had a similar thought. Surgery is risky at any age, but especially after age 80. And it’s hard to realize she is 81.

      • mg says:

        Actually, if a person makes it to 80, she is often a much better surgical candidate than folks in their 60s-70s (who often have more medical problems). One surgeon I knew used to say of folks over 80, “You can’t kill ’em!”

  9. Penelope says:

    She’s a tough old bird so she may pull through just fine–I hope so!! I’ve always admired her for her talent and for being the only real person in Hollywood.

    Hang in there, Joan!

    • jessica6 says:

      Love or hate Joan, she’s always, always told it like it was, which is why she has so many enemies in Hollywood. Then again, there are those that silently applaud her as she states the things they themselves would love to say, but can’t or else they risk their careers.

  10. Old Gregg says:

    Pull through, you old bag. You ain’t done making me laugh.

  11. lucy2 says:

    Best wishes to her, hope she is able to pull through.

  12. Tania says:

    I resuscitate people as part of my job, and if I had to make an educated guess, I’d guess that she was over sedated for the procedure and stopped breathing. Perhaps their monitoring was insufficient and they didn’t get on top of it in time and it resulted in a cardiac arrest. It always amazes me how staff can be so task oriented–get the IV in, help with the scope, that they don’t pay enough attention to the patient–are they breathing? What are their vital signs? Is the oxygen still on their face or has it fallen off? You’d be surprised at how many outpatient clinics–even those that are in hospitals–have had an occurrence like this. There simply aren’t the checks and balances in place in some clinics and it usually takes a death for those protocols to be initiated.

    • QQ says:

      Tania I’ve seen that lack of attention to the patient as a whole with my own eyes with my grandparents drs is like How can you jut treat people as body parts (solely the one you are dealing with!) and then not communicate with each other, not see how one med you are giving is not gonna sit well with the other one your colleage put him/her on the day prior etc etc

      • Tania says:

        QQ, unfortunately I feel that critical thinking/troubleshooting and the ability to see the situation or patient as a whole cannot be taught. Some people just have that ability while others do not. You also have to remember that for every graduating class, there was a doctor/nurse/respiratory therapist at the top of the class and one at the bottom of the class. And they are still out there working as doctors, nurses, etc. My best advice is to advocate for the patient and seek another opinion if that is what you feel you need to do.

      • Sandra says:

        Unfortunately lack of attention / communication by medical staff killed my FIL in April. He had a scheduled angioplasty to check his heart valves and place stents, booked at a hospital (Halifax, Nova Scotia).

        This was supposed to have been done with local anesthesia, but the surgeon made the call to put him under general anesthesia (FIL was 75 & in the beginning stages of dementia, but was aware of his procedure and knew what to expect). The procedure went well, but he was very confused and agitated when he woke up, and the day after he went into cardiac arrest. For safety the medical staff placed him in a medically induced coma for five days (in the ICU).

        Once he awoke, he was breathing on his own, a big groggy, but talking & aware of his surroundings and our family was relieved he would be okay. Then for some reason, ONE DAY AFTER AWAKING from a 5-day induced coma, he was moved out of ICU to a regular hospital room with no monitors etc. to ensure he had stabilized.

        That night, he had a second cardiac arrest while a nurse was in the room, but she didn’t notice something was wrong and she waited 10 MINUTES! before calling for assistance. He went more than 10 minutes without CPR or assistance, and the lack of oxygen caused traumatic brain damage. He was then moved back to ICU, placed on life support for my DH & BIL to travel and say their goodbyes, and taken off of life support 3 days later.

        My husband is devastated, after years of infertility we had finally adopted a baby girl (she was born on the day of FIL’s surgery) and his Dad never got the chance to meet her.

      • get it together says:

        bottom of the class doesn’t necessarily mean incompetent. it’s not like medical schools graduate anyone. you have to pass all your exams, board exams, and clinical exams. over-work and fatigue sometime make an extremely competent practitioner prone to make mistakes. there have been studies that have looked at this, and lack of sleep in medical professionals sometimes drops their motor skills and reasoning skills so much that it’s equivalent to them being inebriated.

    • FLORC says:

      Tania
      As (i’m assuming) the medical professional you are you know a million things could have gone wrong in any number of orders.
      I want to doubt that Joan would have picked a facility that would slack on their monitoring of those in surgery. She’s shared horror stories of friends that have gone under and how she’s so careful. Everything could have been done right and this would still be the outcome. I’m not comfortable placing blame on anyone until something to support that gets released.

      We know too little and are just making stuff up at this point to speculate what might have happened.
      And to bottom and top of class. Those at the bottom of my class were still really good. You can have a class of all A students. Because the bottom students got A-s doesn’t mean they weren’t good at what they did. And you still have to get board certified. It’s not like they hand out degrees for skating by and you get a job that could have someone’s life in the balance.
      Again, I doubt Joan went anywhere they would hire those not at the top of their game.

      QQ
      That’s tough. I see it more often than I should. People get perscribed treatments from 1 doctor and see 3 or 4 other doctors/specialist. They don’t always talk to eachother and it’s not right, but it happens.

      Also, there comes a point to disconnect. Viewing someone in pain can slow a reaction when time is critical. I’m not saying they take humanity out of treatment, but if you get attached and make it a personal crusade with each person (maybe 20 a day) you will burn out.

    • Pepsi Presents...Coke says:

      That happened to my sister when she had surgery two years ago. It never got serious, but she said that kept tapping her and remind her to breathe. It sounds so strange, but she said that she can totally see how people can die that way, that it would be so calm and easy to just expire because you forget to breathe. And she was in her thirties and in hospital when it happened, it must be a whole different thing when you’re older and at a clinic.

      It’s weird, you wouldn’t think it’s possible for Joan to have complications during surgery, her blood must be 40% morphine by now.

      • Christin says:

        That is really frightening to think about. I have only had wisdom tooth surgery (which I know is minor stuff), and I jokingly told the staff to just be sure I didn’t wake up during the surgery. They said I wouldn’t. But I did. They were talking about a movie. The nurse stepped toward me and I was out of it again.

        My father had a relatively serious surgery at 70, and I’ve just noticed that he and his friends who are a bit older have had some problems post-surgery. I also wonder about people who have relatively frequent surgeries (probably the category Joan falls into) and how the body reacts.

  13. Reece says:

    Pulling for the the old plastic b-hag.

  14. Dani says:

    Unfortunately this situation is familiar to me, and not in the best way. I hope she miraculously pulls through. As said above, it’s likely she’s on life support until her family arrives but then again pulling the plug isn’t that quick of thing (from experience). Wishing her well.

  15. kri says:

    Whther you like her or not, she is undoubtedly a pioneer in the entertainment industry, and one of the hardest working people in the biz. Prayers to her and her family.

  16. Annaloo. says:

    Joan! You don’t need that heart! We didn’t like you with one, anyway! Stay with us – make it back and keep us laughing!

  17. Pabena6 says:

    @OllyHolly — what you said, girl.

  18. Cinderella says:

    She still has so much life ahead of her. I thought for sure she’d make it to the century mark. Get well, Joan.

  19. Jaded says:

    Joan, there are a million fashion disasters you must still comment on – get well soon and come back swinging! Love and prayers to her family.

  20. Ice Queen says:

    Stay alive and well!

  21. Veryvera says:

    I watched her night before last on the Emmy Fashion Police, and noticed her voice catching ever so slightly.
    Poor Joan, I absolutely adore her, don’t always agree with her views, but still adore.
    Please pull through, like the gal you are. I’m in shock.

  22. nicegirl says:

    Praying for Joan and wishing her health. Best wishes to Joan and her loved ones at this time.

  23. Bea says:

    Oh Joan you old hag – stay with us – you don’t get to leave like this.

    Who the hell will snark on the unbearably ugly shit that will be ho-ing down the runway during “pat us on the back because we make a ton of money repeating lines written for us” season?

    Stay, bitch.

  24. Kate2 says:

    That’s too bad, I hope she recovers.

  25. Miss M says:

    I hope she pulls through!

  26. Dawn says:

    First thing out of my mouth was oh NO and a co-worker said she heard she is doing fine now. I really think all female stand up comedians owe a big thank you to Joan and few before Joan as well. She did a lot for women in that field. I hope she stops with these procedures.

  27. Jag says:

    As we age, our intrinsic factor in the stomach stops absorbing vitamin B12 as readily, and can make our B12 low. People with low B12 should never receive laughing gas because it can cause a heart attack. I hope that this isn’t what happened to her. (Everyone, especially seniors, should get their vitamin B12 checked yearly by a doctor.)

    Best wishes, Joan!

    • Kimble says:

      I have had pernicious anaemia since my late 30’s … Not something to be messed with, even though it’s easily treated (in my case) with twice weekly injections!

      Mine was not diagnosed until I had already suffered some permanent nerve damage. I believe everyone should add this test to their annual blood tests.

  28. Lydia Says says:

    Hope she pulls through. . Best wishes to Joan and her loved ones.

  29. delorb says:

    Good lawd. Not another legend!!! I really hope she pulls through. I’m a big fan. Have been for years.

  30. Lisa says:

    I love Joan – she is funny and she is a survivor – I pray for her and feel for Melissa making that trip to NY under these circumstances.

  31. Triple Cardinal says:

    I agree with the posters above: stable does not mean “improved.” It means “unchanged.” She’s still critical.

    And BTW, initial info got out because her PA was overheard discussing her condition at the hospital.

  32. Tig says:

    It is always scary for any elderly person to be put under- things can go so wrong so fast. I am assuming this was not a voluntary procedure, but a necessary one to protect her voice- after all, Joan unable to voice that ascerbic wit? I hope she pulls through as well. Watch the documentary about her- her work ethic is incredible, and evidently has been from the beginnings of her career.

  33. Bob Loblaw says:

    Get well soon, dear lady, we need your humor and moxie, we’re all rooting for you!

  34. kitty-bye says:

    Hope she will be ok! Amazing woman.

  35. Stephanie says:

    I’ve had rotator cuff surgery and meniscus surgery. Now, gimp that I am, I need a total knee replacement. I had my first two surgeries in outpatient clinics. The doctors swore it was a good idea because the infection rate is “much lower.” Joan is giving me pause for thought. I’d rather have M.D. anesthesia in a regular hospital and take my chances on infection rates.

    • PunkyMomma says:

      @Stephanie – same here. Rotator surgery on both shoulders and both were performed in a hospital at my insistence. Ortho surgeon reminded me it was less expensive in the clinic. Like I told PunkyDaddy, “the last thing I want to see before I go under is that crash cart nearby.” Doesn’t matter what your age is –

  36. MediaMaven says:

    I had my thyroid removed last year – during the surgery, I stopped breathing and they needed to do an emergency trachostomy. I now have bilateral vocal cord paralysis. The vocal cords are very delicate, and lots of things can happen during surgery. Had the surgery done in an outpatient facility (because it was going to be a fairly easy procedure). Woke up in an ambulance on the way to a hospital. Same situation as Joan. A week in ICU, home healthcare workers for months, speech therapy, I still can’t talk or breathe properly. I have to sleep sitting up – my life will never be the same. One of the things on my side was my age – Joan doesn’t have that, unfortunately. I hope she’ll be ok, but I’m afraid this is going to alter her life significantly. I don’t always agree with everything she says, but I stand behind her right to say it. Bless her…….

    • Bird says:

      That sounds rough. Good luck to you. A friend in nyc says things aren’t looking good for Joan–hope she’s wrong.

  37. James Cochran says:

    She will be dead in the next five years anyway. Life was good to her.

  38. Zooyork says:

    I love Joan, I hope she recovers well.

  39. Catriona says:

    You can get through this Joan! 🙂

  40. Fran says:

    Love Joan. My prayers are with you and family. Stay with us. You make us laugh!!