Clinic Where Joan Rivers Had Outpatient Procedure Denies Performing Patient Biopsies

Yesterday, BWW reported that a source told The Daily News that an outpatient procedure a doctor performed on Joan Rivers during a planned endoscopy led to the death of the legendary comedian.

According to the report, doctors found something on the entertainer's vocal cords and decided to proceed with a risky biopsy procedure which should have only been performed in a hospital. During the biopsy, Rivers' vocal cords reportedly seized and closed shut, cutting off her air supply. Sources tell the site that while the medical team tried to resuscitate her, her heart stopped beating.

The Daily News reports today that the Yorkville Endoscopy clinic, where the procedure was performed, has issued a statement in which it insists that "a biopsy of the vocal cords" has never been done at their facility.

Though the clinic did not specifically mention Rivers by name in its statement due to confidentiality rules, it denied reports that general anesthesia is ever used at their facility. "General anesthesia has never been administered at Yorkville Endoscopy," it said. "The type of sedation used at Yorkville Endoscopy is monitored anesthesia care. Our anesthesiologists utilize light to moderate sedation."

A source told The News that Rivers' went to the private MANHATTAN clinic initially to "see why her voice had gotten raspy."

Rivers was long a fixture on the New York scene, with numerous standup appearances, benefit appearances, and a long association with the theatrical community. She was a constant presence at opening nights and special events, and never hesitated to express her love for theatre and live entertainment.

Her Broadway credits include Fun City, Broadway Bound and Sally Marr...and her escorts, for which she received a Drama Desk Nomination as Outstanding Actress in a Play and a Tony Nomination for Best Actress in a Play.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos

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