Joan Rivers Being Brought Out Of Coma: Brain Function May Be ‘Compromised’
Joan Rivers is being brought out of her medically-induced coma, according to the New York Daily News. The process started yesterday, though doctors say it’s a slow process that won’t be complete until Tuesday.
The possible effects of the cardiac arrest that led to Joan Rivers’ coma have the family thinking about a lawsuit.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Joan Rivers’ daughter, Melissa Rivers has been “keeping her fingers crossed” in hopes the legendary comic icon would somehow pull through.
Though the doctors are pulling Rivers out of her coma, there is significant fear that the complications arising from a simple throat surgery may permanently affect Joan’s motor skills, or worse.
A source close to the family told the New York Daily News:
“The waking up process has begun and will take until Tuesday. There is a real concern that the part of the brain that controls motor skills may have been compromised, leaving her as either a vegetable or in a wheelchair.”
The possible devastating outcome for Joan Rivers has the family thinking about a lawsuit against Yorkville Endoscopy, where Rivers had a routine throat surgery last Thursday.
Another family-related source said:
“Shock and upset is turning to anger, and they are looking for someone to blame. The night before she was performing and now she is on life support. An 81 year-old should not have that procedure as an out-patient. Very ill-advised.”
Joan Rivers was brought to Mount Sinai Hospital last Thursday after suffering a heart attack on the operating room table. Joan was having surgery on her vocal chords. The New York Fire Department was the first to react to the emergency call at Yorkville Endoscopy, and they transported Rivers to the hospital, according to ABC News.
Though Rivers is 81 years-old, she’d been working hard as of late. Joan co-hosts her show, Fashion Police, on the E! Network, and she’d been doing a lot of stand-up comedy. The iconic comedienne had seven shows booked across the United States in November.
Joan Rivers has remained unconscious ever since being brought to Mount Sinai Hospital. Reports initially said that Rivers was being sedated and under close supervision until doctors were “comfortable with her condition.”
A cardiac arrest – in which the heart stops beating – deprives the brain of oxygen.The fragile question concerning the outcome of Joan Rivers’ condition is how long was she without oxygen? The answer to that question is unclear, though if the human brain is deprived of oxygen for just four to six minutes, it can be severely damaged.
The final effects of the events that sent Joan Rivers to the hospital may become clearer tomorrow, when the groundbreaking funny-lady is fully out of her coma.
image via The Fashion Spot
