The mother of rap star Kanye West, who died earlier this month after undergoing routine plastic surgery, likely succumbed to a heart attack, pulmonary embolism or accidental overdose of drugs prescribed to her for pain after the procedure, her surgeon said in an interview Monday.
In his most detailed public comments on the case, Dr. Jan Adams told The Times that nothing went wrong Nov. 9 when he performed a breast reduction, tummy tuck and liposuction on 58-year-old Donda West.
"When she left this office, there was no problem whatsoever," Adams said during the interview at his Wilshire Boulevard medical office.
Based on his years of experience as a surgeon -- and after conversations with a West family representative and a coroner's official -- Adams said there was a "small list of possibilities" that could have resulted in West's death.
Adams would not say why he thought West could have suffered a heart attack. Another surgeon said through a spokesperson last week that West had approached him months ago about having cosmetic surgery but that he did not perform the procedure because of an undisclosed preexisting condition that might result in a heart attack.
Adams said he considered a drug overdose a possibility in West's death because he had prescribed Vicodin to combat the considerable pain associated with the procedures she underwent.
Adams said West "probably [had] a rough night," after the operation and had complained of pain the next morning. Asked whether he thought West may have taken too many of the painkillers, Adams replied: "That's one speculation on my part, yes."
The Los Angeles County coroner's office, which completed a preliminary autopsy report on West last week, has not mentioned drugs as playing a role in her death.
The office's initial review found that West died "as a result of surgery or anesthesia." It has opened an investigation into the death.
Adams said he favored one theory in particular but declined to elaborate until the coroner's office completes its investigation.
"I believe I know exactly what happened to her, but I will not comment on it until I see the final report," he said.
Several hours after the interview Adams called The Times to insist that he had not been speculating about West's case in particular but about a hypothetical patient facing similar problems.
Coroner's officials were not available for comment, and West's family could not be reached.
