Report: Usher's Wife Had Coma Induced After Lipo Mishap

Brazilian news agency says Tameka Foster's suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest during liposuction

By Gina Serpe Feb 10, 2009 9:05 PMTags
Usher, Tameka FosterMark Sullivan/WireImage.com

Despite the best attempts by Usher and his family to keep the situation under wraps, new details have emerged on the nature of wife Tameka Foster Raymond's "serious"  medical emergency.

"The family has demanded total privacy," a spokeswoman for São Paulo's Sirio-Libanes Hospital told the Agence France-Presse.

"The hospital is barred from giving any information," said the rep, beyond confirming the 37-year-old mother of two is currently listed in stable conditiom.

But the blackout hasn't prevented Brazilian news outlets from digging beyond the official statement from Usher's camp saying his wife had suffered "complications from routine surgery."

The news site G1 got much more specific, reporting that Foster was rushed to the hospital's intensive care unit last Friday after going into cardiac and respiratory arrest during a liposuction procedure.

The life-threatening condition reportedly came on as the R&B star's wife was being anesthetized.

According to G1, doctors at the hospital placed Raymond in an induced coma for 24 hours to stabilize her. She is currently in recovery.

While Usher and his mother quickly, and relatively quietly, canceled his Grammy weekend appearances to be by his missus' side, G1 reports that they likely had company during the flight. Dr. Gabriel E. Hunt Jr., a neurosurgeon from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, is said to be down in São Paulo to lead Foster's care.

Hunt was seen leaving the hospital on Monday, but did not comment on the situation.

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