Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of the legendary singer Elvis Presley, died on January 12, 2023, at the age of 54. Her death shocked and saddened her fans and family, who were still grieving the loss of her son Benjamin Keough, who committed suicide in 2020. But what was the cause of Lisa Marie Presley’s death? According to CNN, a report by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner revealed that she died of complications from a prior weight-loss surgery.
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What is a small bowel obstruction?
The report stated that Presley’s death was caused by a “sequelae of a small bowel obstruction”. A small bowel obstruction is a blockage in the small intestine, often because of things like scar tissue, a hernia or cancer. Without surgery, it can cause bowel tissue to die or perforate, leading to death.
In Presley’s case, the report found that the blockage was caused by adhesions (or, scar tissue) that developed after bariatric surgery, a type of weight-loss surgery, that she underwent several years ago. “This is a known long term complication of this type of surgery,” the medical examiner’s report noted.
According to BBC News, Presley had struggled with her weight for years and had tried various diets and exercise regimes. She reportedly underwent bariatric surgery in 2016, which reduces the size of the stomach or bypasses part of the small intestine to limit food intake and absorption.
How did the obstruction lead to cardiac arrest?
The medical examiner’s report also detailed that Presley was complaining of abdominal pain on the morning of her death. She was rushed to a hospital in Calabasas, California, where she was pronounced dead after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Dr. Folasade P. May, an associate professor of medicine at UCLA and director of the Gastroenterology Quality Improvement Program, told CNN that she suspects Presley “developed a cardiac arrest because she had a severe complication from the small bowel obstruction.”
Dr. Michael Camilleri, a consultant and professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic, told CNN that the medications found in Presley’s blood may have contributed to the obstruction. The report showed that she had therapeutic levels of oxycodone, quetapine metabolite and buprenorphine in her system. These drugs can slow down the movement of the intestine and make it more likely to get blocked by the adhesions.
“Unfortunately, adhesions can happen to anybody,” Camilleri added. “And just because there were these other medications on board doesn’t necessarily mean that the person was more prone to develop the complications.”
How did her family and fans react to her death?
Presley’s death was met with an outpouring of grief and tributes from her family and fans. Her mother, Priscilla Presley, filed a legal challenge to her will’s validity, arguing that she was unaware of a 2016 amendment that had ousted her as a trustee overseeing Lisa Marie’s estate. The amendment named Benjamin Keough and Riley Keough, Lisa Marie’s children from her first marriage to Danny Keough, as co-trustees. The legal dispute was settled in May.
Presley was buried next to her son Benjamin at Graceland Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. She was also survived by her twin daughters Harper and Finley from her fourth marriage to Michael Lockwood.
Presley followed in her father’s footsteps as a musician and released three albums over the course of her career. She was also well-known for four high-profile marriages, to Keough, pop star Michael Jackson, actor Nicolas Cage and Lockwood.
Her last public appearance was two days before her death, at the Golden Globes Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. She looked radiant and happy as she posed for photos with Riley Keough on the red carpet.
Her fans remembered her as a talented and beautiful singer who inherited her father’s charisma and voice. They also praised her for her philanthropic work and her courage in overcoming personal tragedies.
Lisa Marie Presley’s death was a tragic reminder of the risks and complications associated with weight-loss surgery. Her legacy lives on through her music and her children.
