The surgeon that operated on Kanye West's mother the day before she died has walked off Larry King's chat show.

Dr Jan Adams was due to appear exclusively on King's show to talk about the rapper's late mother but pulled out following threats from the West family that they would decertify him from the California medical board if he appeared on the programme.

King opened his show by announcing that Adams was in the green room with his lawyer and that he planned to defy the West family's threats.

However, when Dr Adams joined King on set, he told King that he would obey the West family's wishes and not talk on the show.

Adams said on air: "I am going to honour [the West family's] wishes...I will not be on the show."

When King tried to ask Adams some questions, he took out his earpiece and walked off the set.

King's senior executive producer Wendy Walker claimed it was the first time in the show's history that a guest had walked off.