Doctor Refused To Perform Surgery On Donda West Weeks Before Death

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (November 12, 2007) -- Donda West, the mother of outspoken rapper Kanye West, died as the result of possible complications from a cosmetic surgical procedure, Access Hollywood has learned.

According to the LA Coroner's Office, Donda died on Saturday at 8:29PM at Centinela Hospital in Marina del Rey.

[ Kanye West - View the gallery ]

A spokesperson for the hospital told Access Hollywood, "Donda West was brought into the emergency room at Centinela. She was unresponsive and in cardiac arrest. They tried to revive her and were unsuccessful."

The coroner's office confirmed she died from possible complications due to surgery, however, they do not know what type of surgery yet.

An autopsy is scheduled for later this week, possibly Wednesday, the coroner's office confirmed to Access Hollywood.

[ Hip Hop Stars - View the gallery ]

Access Hollywood has learned that a week before Donda underwent her medical procedure, she met with Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Andre Aboolian to discuss breast reduction and a tummy tuck.

[ Video: Donda West Talks About Kanye (Sept. 2007) - Watch the Video ]

However, Dr. Aboolian refused to do the procedure, citing a medical condition.

Dr. Aboolian, who first met with Donda in June, said he would need medical clearance before he would perform any surgery on Donda.

"She was interested in some cosmetic procedures and we had discussed that in order for her to go through with the procedures, which she was a good candidate for, she needed what's called a medical clearance which just about anybody over the age of 40 is required to have," Dr. Aboolian explained to Access. "Because of Donda's age, she was required to get some cardiac clearance to make sure her heart is in good shape to go through for the surgery."

Although he said she was a "good candidate," Dr. Aboolian told Access, "she had a condition that was of concern." However, he could not reveal the specifics of the condition due to patient confidentiality.

Following the consultation in June, Dr. Aboolian spoke with Donda just weeks before her death.

"I spoke to her about two weeks ago and she was supposed to see the internist for the medical clearance, the internist that I had recommended, that I work with. But she never followed through as far as I know," he added. "Unfortunately situations like this can happen and do happen and they're only brought out to the news media only when it's a public figure. Stuff like this does happen here and there and surgery is not to be taken lightly. You have to take the right precautions and you have to prepare for it."

In response to West's untimely death, a spokesperson for Kanye told Access Hollywood, "Unfortunately it's true ... The family respectfully asks for privacy during this time of grief."

The spokesperson did not comment on the cause of death.

Just two months ago, Access Hollywood's Shaun Robinson sat down with Donda to talk about her son, whom she even wrote about in the book "Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar."

"What is the most misunderstood thing about Kanye?" Shaun asked Donda in September.

"I think some people think that he is arrogant and pompous. I think that maybe that's not true," Donda replied. "He is certainly confident."

Throughout her life, Donda was a constant fixture by Kanye's side, raising him alone after her husband left when Kanye was three-years-old.

She balanced single parenthood with academic commitments -- Donda was a celebrated English professor at Chicago State University, where she spent 30 years before retiring in 2004 to manage Kanye's career.

But as it turns out, mother's intuition let Donda know her son was bound for something big at a very young age.

"When did you know that he was going to go on to such greatness?" Shaun asked her.

"I knew for sure when he was two or three. There was just something about his presence. And then, you know, I always had high expectations too," Donda smiled.