Donda West's Surgeon Bolts From TV Session

(CBS/AP)  A plastic surgeon who operated on rapper Kanye West's mother the day before she died abruptly walked off CNN's "Larry King Live" during what was to be his first televised interview since the operation.

Dr. Jan Adams said Tuesday night he initially agreed to speak with King to clear up what he said were inaccurate reports about him in the news media. But he said West's family asked him not to appear on the show.

"I have a tremendous amount of love and respect for the West family and they have asked me not to go on," he said. "And I've said from the very beginning, I don't have a side in this. They are my on side, and so I'm going to respect their wishes."

As he was taking off his microphone and standing up to leave the set, King asked Adams, "Don't you want to speak out?"

"No, I do not," Adams answered.

West, 58, died at a Los Angeles-area hospital on Nov. 10, a day after she underwent breast reduction, tummy tuck and liposuction procedures. She may have died of a heart attack, pulmonary embolism or accidental overdose of painkillers prescribed after the procedures, Adams told the Los Angeles Times for a story posted online Monday night.

West was Kanye's first manager. She also oversaw her son's business enterprises.

Adams said he suspected one theory but would not elaborate until the coroner issues an official cause of death. "I believe I know exactly what happened to her, but I will not comment on it until I see the final report," he told the newspaper.

The coroner has said early indications suggest West died from surgical complications. An official cause of death will not be determined for weeks, pending the results of toxicology and other tests.

As Adams was leaving and shaking King's hand, the TV host asked whether the surgeon would ever answer questions surrounding Donda West's death.

"When they're comfortable, then I'll be comfortable. If they're never comfortable, then I'll never be comfortable," Adams said, referring to West's family. "They are what's important to me. I said that from the start and that's what I'll continue to honor."

His brief television appearance came several hours after a funeral service for Donda West.

Off air, Adams told King he'd received a letter from the West family threatening him that, if he were to speak out publicly, they would ask the California Medical Board to take away his license.

The board was already seeking to suspend or revoke Adams' license for drunk driving arrests.

As one of Hollywood's best-known plastic surgeons, Adams has often been seen on TV, including guest appearances on "Oprah."

Since Donda's death, it's come to light that Adams is facing multiple malpractice suits, including one for alleged sexual assault.

In the interview with the Los Angeles Times, Adams acknowledged the malpractice suits but said, "Ninety-nine percent of them are what ee in this business call nuisance lawsuits."

On The Early Show Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Griffin, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, Calif., told co-anchor Julie Chen, " Adams is licensed, but not board-certified.

"Every doctor who has an M.D. -- and, in California, who has a DDS -- can practice plastic surgery," Griffin explained. "But that doesn't mean they have trained and have specific qualifications in plastic surgery. The American Board of Plastic Surgeons, our licensing board, requires that we have training in general surgery and training specifically in plastic surgery. We have to pass rigorous tests and be policed by our peers. So, the public can take some solace, if you have a board-certified plastic surgeon, that they have competence and training. Unfortunately, Dr. Adams did not have that training.

"Plastic surgery is serious business. And I think, from this case, we have obviously emphasized that. But, people have to do their homework. And ... just because a surgeon is board-certified doesn't mean you're going to get an outcome that you like. But you can be assured that that surgeon has competence, training, and adheres to a high ethical standard."

Griffin added that, "A lot of doctors nowadays want to be plastic surgeons, and they will actually lie to their patients about their credentials. I've had physicians tell me directly, particularly those who are g-y-ns (gynecologists) and dermatologists, 'I just tell the patient I'm board certified.' "

To learn if someone actually is credentialed in plastic surgery, Griffin noted, members of the public can go to www.plasticsurgery.org and, "If you don't see your doctor's name on that list, you should not only walk, but run out of that office."

In many states, information on whether there are any lawsuits or disciplinary actions against a physician is available online.

Griffin expressed another concern about Donda's operation, saying, "I think what bothers me most . . . is that she had a long surgery on a Friday and went home after surgery. Typically, a patient who has eight-hour surgery like that would be in a monitored setting in an aftercare."

He also cited a study that showed patients who have major surgery generally fare btter if it's done earlier in the week.

Griffin has appeared on "Extreme Makeover" and other TV shows.

[keithle1]

Why didn''t Kanye hook up his Moms with the best plastic surgeon in New York, LA or wherever?

A guy has to take care of his Moms.

[keithle1]

Why didn''t Kanye hook up his Moms with the best plastic surgeon in New York, LA or wherever?

A guy has to take care of his Moms.

[barbaraf4]

The question is why did Donda, who was educated (she had a Phd.), articulate (sorry about that word), and beautiful, feel that she needed to change herself.

Of all people, she should have presented herself as a role model for young women of all races.

[kevzgrl]

Why the he--ll did he GO on the show, if he wasn''t going to answer questions? Dumbazz got the letter several hours before the show was to start - why didn''t he just call ''em up and say, I can''t talk, I can''t come on the show? He did it this way to try to look like an upright, caring, compassionate, not out for the money kind of guy - anyone buying that???
These kind of QUACKS who perform too much at one time (tummy tuck, breast lift AND lipo all at the same time on Ms. West) are trying to make a big buck, and don''t really care about the patient they are cutting up.

Myself, I will stay what God made me - plump and starting to wrinkle. My husband says I am still beautiful to him, and that is enough for me. I pity the women who don''t accept and love themselves JUST AS THEY ARE. Rest in peace, Donda - you were a beautiful person, both inside and out.

[excoachken]

I''ll save mysympathy for someone who really needed a physician''s help for a MEDICAL condition other than vanity. Watching this guy B.B. his way off of Larry King, it is obvious that the Oprah crowd is the only group that would believe him anyhow.

[eggy1620]

This quack sounds like a butcher. Not board certified, sent her home like it''s an outpatient surgery. What do call the lowest performing graduate of a med school?

[cpaide]

"As one of Hollywood''s best-known plastic surgeons, Adams has often been seen on TV, including guest appearances on Oprah."

Well, he wouldn''t be the first phony "doctor" with questionable background that Oprah endorsed. Of course, screening people isn''t part of her job description, is it? We found that out with the school in South Africa.

Thankfully, only 5 or 6 million people out of 320 million in the U.S. watch Oprah. I wonder if Donda West was one of them.

[T2_Squared]

I do not know how it works in California but in my state the policing of doctors is done by other doctors on a medical review board. They have a lousy track record of allowing incompetent, dangerous or even abusive doctors to continue practicing. In many of the cases I have seen documented in the press, it would not take a "medical expert" to see the problems.

I do not know if malpractice is the cause of this woman''s death or just a tragic possibility of any surgery but whatever turns out to be the case here I do not trust doctors to police themselves.

[ago5675]

I strongly disagree with your idea that Doctors shouldn''t discuss other Doctors. There are few avenues available to find the truth about specific Dorctors. For years, there has been a code of secrecy and deceit and now the truth is beginning to surface. Not only with this case but many others nationwide.

[sv1966]

First of all I have no respect for Dr. Anthony Griffin. Doctors are not suppose to talk against each other and who knows when it might happen to him. Secondly when a person goes under the knife they know things might happen. We don''t want them to but it does happen. A friend of a friend had a c section and 15 hours later she was gone. Her family didn''t get on national tv and blame the doctor. I think the worst scenerio, besides her death, would have been if Dr. Jan Adams had been a white man. Then the media would have had a hay day.