Orange County Register

Doctors say the death of hip-hop star Kanye West’s mother after plastic surgery sends a message to plastic surgeons and patients alike:

Be more careful.

“This tragedy reinforces the need to avoid trivializing cosmetic surgical procedures. They require the same expertise and quality of care as other elective and urgent procedures, and should never be taken lightly,” said Dr. Christopher B. Zachary, chairman of the Department of Dermatology at UCI.

Patients should check out a doctor carefully before undergoing treatment, said plastic surgeon Michael C. Edwards of Las Vegas.

“The doctors that get all the press aren’t always the safest and most well-trained,” he said.

Dr. Jan Adams (pictured) who performed a tummy tuck and breast reduction on Donda West, 58, is under investigation by the state medical board because of alcohol-related arrests. He also has been the target of malpractice lawsuits and has paid nearly $500,000 in civil settlements, the Associated Press reported.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office said after an autopsy that the cause of death appeared to be surgical complications, but an official declaration won’t be made for six to eight weeks after further tests.

Adams, 53, told celebrity Web site TMZ.com that West’s death was not caused by the surgery, but could have been caused by a heart attack, a pulmonary embolism or vomiting.

Zachary and cosmetic surgeon Samir Pancholi of Las Vegas called for greater care in operating-room procedures.

Plastic and cosmetic surgeons often do too little to prevent the formation of blood clots that can block circulation, Pancholi said.

Zachary cited “the risks associated with general anesthesia for lengthy cosmetic procedures, when other (less risky) techniques might be available.” For liposuction patients undergoing general anesthesia, illness and death are well documented, but no liposuction patient has died from a less extensive pain-deadening procedure known as tumescent anesthesia, he said.

“This very public event will strengthen the call for widespread adoption of new policies that will ensure greater safety in operating rooms across the country,” Zachary said.

The latest Associated Press account of the investigations of Adams and Danda West’s death is here.

Associated Press photo above is Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department booking photo of Jan Adams booking photo after his Dec. 29, 2006, drunken-driving arrest.

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