The medical director of Yorkville Endosopy has been sacked following the throat surgery that apparently caused the death of veteran comedienne Joan Rivers' death.

Dr Lawrence Cohen has been asked to step down and an investigation is underway.

Rivers suffered a cardiac arrest while undergoing an outpatient procedure on her vocal cords on August 28.

She was admitted to New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital where she passed away on September 4.

According to reports, an unplanned throat biopsy led to her untimely death at the age of 81.