Donda West Plastic Surgery Before and After Tummy Tuck

Donda West’s death leads to a new plastic surgery law

It’s not often that something good can come out of a death, particularly a death of someone young and healthy who was taken unexpectedly. So I’m really happy to hear that Donda West’s death has led to a change in law for plastic surgery, making it safer for patients.

It seems that at this stage anyone with a medical degree can perform surgery on a patient that requests it, and because they are often performed as outpatient proceedures they do not undergo the same regulations a hospital inpatient would. How Donda West could have been sent home 5 1/2 hours after a breast reduction and tummy tuck is beyond me – a relative of mine who underwent the same proceedure in Australia was in hospital for four days recovering.
Dr Jan Adams, the doctor who performed the surgery on Donda West, was also fighting two malpractice suits at the time of her operation. One was for leaving a sponge in a patient, the other for only placing one implant in a woman wanting a pair of breast implants. The new law does not stop him from performing surgery, or having to disclose the suits to patients, while the case is still waiting for or undergoing trial.

The new law also means that doctors will be under closer supervision, such as what a heart surgeon in a regular hospital might be under. Patients will have to have a full physical exam. While Donda was an intelligent adult who should perhaps should have chosen not to have the surgery, if she sought a second opinion it is possible that she was told the surgery would be safe. Donda was not undergoing the surgery solely for cosmetic reasons, but because of back pain.

I can only hope that the West family, and other families who have suffered loss related to plastic surgery, can get some closure from Donda’s unfortunate death with this little bit of good that comes with the legislation.

Donda West Likely Died of Heart Disease

Kanye West's mother most likely died of heart disease coupled with complications after plastic surgery, but the exact cause of death can't be known, coroner's officials said Thursday.

Donda West, 58, died Nov. 10 at a Los Angeles-area hospital, a day after she had breast reduction, tummy tuck and liposuction procedures.
A long autopsy report noted that West had coronary artery disease, including blockages of 50 percent to 70 percent in two arteries. The 5-foot-2-inch, 188-pound woman also was overweight and had developed several complications after surgery, including bronchopneumonia in one lung, according to the report.

The investigation found "therapeutic levels of medication" in West's body but no unusually high levels and no internal bleeding.

Donda West's Surgeon on What Really Killed Her

Celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Jan Adams operated on Kanye West's mom, Donda West, the day before she died, and was subsequently enveloped in controversy. Now, the doctor sits down with ET's Chris Jacobs for his first interview, telling his side of the story.

"I feel responsible totally, because I'm the surgeon and I'm the guy in charge," says Dr. Adams. "But I'm not the guy to blame."

Dr. Adams, who was cleared by the Los Angeles Coroner of any wrongdoing in the Donda West case, blames the media for the controversy that followed him after Donda's passing.

In a single surgery in 2007, Donda underwent a breast augmentation, tummy tuck and liposuction. Dr. Adams believes that aspiration (the sucking of fluid or other substances into the airway when breathing in) is to blame for her death, saying that she probably "laid down, ate, had narcotics onboard, aspirated, her lungs got all this food in it and then four minutes later she passed away."

"It's a tragedy that she's not here," says Dr. Adams. "She was a wonderful woman."