The Tragic Story of Joan River’s Death and the Case for Unsedated Transnasal Endoscopy
In August of 2014, actress and TV host Joan Rivers underwent a sedated endoscopy at Manhattan’s Yorkville Endoscopy Center. According to reports, Rivers stopped breathing during the procedure after medical personnel failed to realize she was losing oxygen until it was too late. A lawsuit filed by her daughter, Melissa Rivers, states that the doctors mishandled the endoscopy and performed another medical procedure called a laryngoscopy on her mother’s vocal cords without consent. One week later, Rivers died at the age of 81. Sedated GI endoscopy (EGD) should have never been the procedure of choice.
There is an alternative procedure called TNE (TransNasal Endoscopy). TNE is performed in the office while the patient is still completely awake by passing the endoscope through the nose rather than the mouth. TNE does not involve any anesthesia, and so, the dangers, such as those that killed the late Joan Rivers, are not present. Even more, pain tolerance and safety seem to be the greatest advantage of the TNE procedure, as well as requiring less patient monitoring, nursing time, and overall expenses. Patients don’t have to move around their schedules in order to make space for the recovery time because there is none.
TNE-Related News:
Radiofrequency Ablation Can Reverse Barrett’s Esophagus, Reduce Cancer Risk
From New York Presbyterian Hospital: Newswise — Patients who have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for a prolonged period have an increased risk of developing Barrett's esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition where the tissue lining the esophagus becomes [...]
VIDEO: Medical Industry Call for Action At Place Where Joan Rivers Met Her Fate…
New York Assemblyman David Weprin, Bill Drake of the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association and David Schwartz of Citizens for Safe Endoscopy gather at the medical office where comedian Joan Rivers died as a result of [...]
NY Post: Clinic where Joan Rivers died urged to adopt safer practices
Members of Citizens for Safe Endoscopy flocked to Yorkville Endoscopy on the Upper East Side, where the Joan Rivers went into cardiac arrest during minor throat surgery in September 2014, to demand that doctors tell patients about a safer procedure.
Daily News: Sedated endoscopic procedures, like Joan Rivers’, waste $15B
From the New York Daily News: The medical community, medical device makers and government agencies are allowing patients to blow billions a year by allowing unnecessary endoscopic procedures. Members of the medical community, certain medical [...]
NY Times: Study Finds Growing Reason to Be Wary of Some Reflux Drugs
From The New York Times: Maybe you have seen television ads starring the beefy, affable comedian and actor known as Larry the Cable Guy. In his sleeveless shirt and gimme cap, he’s driving a monster [...]
Morning Consult: David Schwartz on Skyrocketing Health Costs, Obamacare, and the Special Interests
The higher cost of living longer is one important variable that cannot be attributed to the expensive Obamacare jig saw puzzle. But what about the role of the health care industry itself?
VIDEO: Dr. Jonathan Aviv Performs a TNE and The Importance of Safe Endoscopy
Citizens for Safe Endoscopy's David Schwartz talks with Dr. Jonathan Aviv about safer methods of endoscopy and has a TNE performed on camera.
Radio: David Schwartz on TNE and the Tragic Death of Joan Rivers
Citizens for Safe Endoscopy spokesman, David Schwartz on The Ed Tyll Show about transnasal esophogoscopy and the tragic death of Joan Rivers.
RADIO: David Schwartz on America Tonight Radio – Safer Endoscopy
Citizens for Safe Endoscopy's David Schwartz joins host Kate Delaney to talk about the hidden secret about the dangers of endoscopy and easily available solution the medical industry doesn't want you to know about.
Skyrocketing Health Costs, Obamacare, and the Medical Cartel
How the dominant use of expensive sedated endoscopies sheds light on how special interests in the healthcare industry pass unnecessary costs on to patients.
Dr. Jonathan Aviv discusses upper endoscopy, TNE, and the risk of endoscopic cross contamination on WFAN
Voice and Swallowing Center Clinical Director Dr. Jonathan Aviv discusses upper endoscopy, transnasal esophagoscopy, and the risk of endoscopic cross contamination with WFAN's Bob Salter.
Would TNE-the Safe Alternative to Endoscopies-Have Saved Joan Rivers?
“New and safer approaches to the diagnosis of esophageal cancer have been developed and perfected over the past twenty years, but their utilization has been stymied by special interests. CSE was created in order to break the conspiracy of silence and insure that patients know that there are better diagnostic tools available to them, ones that pose a much less significant threat to their health and longevity.”