Kanye West's Mother Dies from Cosmetic Surgery?

Dan Frith

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ABC News is reporting that rap singer Kanye West's mother, Donda West, had a tummy tuck and breast reduction performed by a cosmetic surgeon shortly before her death, according to the Web site TMZ.com. Dr. Jan Adams told TMZ that he was not responsible for her death, but that she may have died from a heart attack, pulmonary embolism or massive vomiting.

Another plastic surgeon told ABC News that West consulted him for surgery, too, but he deemed her a health risk and wouldn't operate unless she got clearance from an internist.

West's death underscores the risks of cosmetic surgery procedures. Nearly 200 people die every year from plastic surgery complications. Today, about 2 million cosmetic procedures are done in the United States each year. That's a startling 446 percent increase in cosmetic surgeries since 1997.

West, a former chairwoman of the Chicago State University English department, died this Saturday at Centinela Freeman Marina Hospital in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County's coroner's office. She was 58.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Medical Malpractice and Negligent Care.