Joan Rivers remains sedated at hospital after going into cardiac arrest

NEW YORK -- Comedian Joan Rivers remains sedated at the hospital two days after going into cardiac arrest during a procedure at a doctor's office.

The 81-year-old is in serious condition at Mount Sinai on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Doctors are keeping her sedated and under close observation.

TMZ is reporting that Rivers is being kept alive on life support and her family will decide what actions to take in the coming days.

Rivers was brought to the hospital in critical condition on Thursday, after doctors say she stopped breathing during a minor throat operation at a medical clinic.

"My mother would be so touched by the tributes and prayers that we have received from around the world. Her condition remains serious but she is receiving the best treatment and care possible. We ask that you continue to keep her in your thoughts as we pray for her recovery," said Melissa Rivers in a statement to E! network.

Sources say Rivers has been unconscious since her arrival at Mt Sinai.

It is not clear what Rivers' prospects of recovery are because it is not known how long her body was deprived of oxygen. According to an earlier family statement, Rivers is resting comfortably.

She most recently performed on Wednesday night in Manhattan, even joking about her mortality during the show.

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A few hours later, Rivers was undergoing what is described as routine outpatient procedure at Yorkville Endoscopy on her throat when she suddenly stopped breathing. She became unresponsive, went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital by the New York City Fire Department.

The pioneering female comic maintains a jam-packed schedule on TV and stage, and there has been tremendous outpouring of support from around the entertainment world.

Daughter Melissa Rivers rushed from Los Angeles to be by her mother's side. She released a statement Thursday saying, "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."

In addition to the E! TV show, Rivers continues to do stand-up comedy. According to Ticketmaster, she had seven shows planned across the U.S. for November.

Rivers had been scheduled to appear at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, N.J., at 8 p.m. on Friday.

The entertainer has logged a half-century in show business and gave rise to red carpet commentary - and the snarky criticism that often accompanies it. Her signature red carpet query: "Who are you wearing?"

She was to perform a show Friday at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey, but that show was postponed because of her hospitalization.

Rivers spoke at an employee event at Time Inc. in New York on Wednesday night and appeared healthy, practically jogging when she walked in to take her seat, said Shira Blum, an online project manager.

"She seemed totally healthy," Blum said. "She was very energetic, hilarious, funny. And it was such a shock, a surprise to hear the news this morning."

Rivers took questions and said she wakes up every morning and "is thankful that everything works," Blum said.

An early and outspoken proponent of cosmetic surgery, Rivers' drastically altered her appearance over the years - and found plenty of material for jokes. ("I've had so much plastic surgery, when I die they will donate my body to Tupperware.")

The host of "Fashion Police" on E!, Rivers also presides over an online talk show, "In Bed With Joan" and co-stars with her daughter, Melissa, on the WEtv reality show, "Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?"

Her latest book, "Diary of a Mad Diva," was released this summer.

In 2009, Rivers emerged as the winner of NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice." A documentary, "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work," premiered in theaters in 2010.

A native of New York, Rivers originally entered show business with the dream of a theatrical career, but comedy became a way to pay the bills while she auditioned for acting roles.

"Somebody said, 'You can make six dollars standing up in a club,'" she told The Associated Press in 2013, "and I said, 'Here I go!' It was better than typing all day."

After proving herself in comedy clubs as a rarity - a woman comedian - Rivers was a smash on her first booking on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in 1965. "God, you're funny," Carson told her.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.