Joan Rivers on Life Support Following a Surgery-Gone-Wrong

The 81-year-old comedienne is under a 48-hour watch in the intensive care unit of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York after she went into respiratory arrest while undergoing a routine operation on her vocal cords at the Yorkville Endoscopy clinic earlier in the day.

Joan Rivers. Photo: Getty Images

Sources close to the star told Entertainment Tonight, "The legendary comedienne is in a medically-induced coma following a routine endoscopy."

Joan's daughter Melissa, 46, and her grandson Cooper, 13, caught a flight into New York yesterday to be at the ageing star's bedside.

Melissa released a statement last night, in which she updated fans on her mother's critical but stable condition.

She said, "I want to thank everyone for the overwhelming love and support for my mother. She is resting comfortably and is with our family. We ask that you continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers."

The Fashion Police host appeared in "good spirits" the night before the health scare when she cracked jokes about death during a performance at Laurie Beechman Theatre on Wednesday night. She told the audience, "I'm 81 - I could go at any moment. I could fall over right here and you all could say, 'I was there!'"