US comedian Joan Rivers is in a stable condition after going into cardiac arrest during surgery in New York last night.

US media reports the 81-year-old entertainer was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in a critical condition after she stopped breathing during a surgical procedure on her throat at a clinic.

A spokesperson for Rivers confirmed that she was in a stable condition but was still unconscious.

Rivers, who is best known for her role on E! channel’s show Fashion Police, had a string of appearances planned in the coming weeks, with a tour of the UK planned for September.