Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of rock ‘n’ roll legend Elvis, died at the age of 54 on January 12, 2023. The singer and songwriter was found unresponsive in her bedroom at her home in Calabasas, California. She was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
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What Killed Lisa Marie Presley?
According to the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office, Lisa Marie Presley’s cause of death was a small bowel obstruction. This is a condition where the small intestine is blocked, preventing food and fluids from passing through. This can cause severe pain, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, infection and tissue damage.
A small bowel obstruction can have various causes, such as colon cancer, medication or scar tissue that forms after surgeries. In Presley’s case, the report found that the obstruction was caused by adhesions, which are bands of scar tissue that stick together and can block the intestines. The report said that the adhesions were a result of a weight-loss surgery that Presley had undergone several years ago.
What is Weight-Loss Surgery?
Weight-loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, is a procedure that changes the size or shape of the stomach or intestines to help people lose weight. There are different types of weight-loss surgery, such as gastric bypass, gastric sleeve or gastric banding. These surgeries can help people who are obese or have obesity-related health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea.
However, weight-loss surgery also has risks and complications, such as bleeding, infection, leakage, ulcers or nutritional deficiencies. One of the possible long-term complications is the formation of adhesions, which can occur in up to 93% of patients who have had abdominal surgery. Adhesions can cause chronic pain, infertility or bowel obstruction.
How Common and Serious is Small Bowel Obstruction?
Small bowel obstruction is a relatively common condition that affects about 300,000 people in the US every year. It accounts for about 20% of all hospital admissions for acute abdominal pain. Most cases of small bowel obstruction are caused by adhesions.
Small bowel obstruction can be a life-threatening emergency if not treated promptly. It can lead to bowel perforation, sepsis (a serious infection that spreads throughout the body), shock (a sudden drop in blood pressure) or death. The mortality rate for small bowel obstruction ranges from 3% to 25%, depending on the severity and duration of the obstruction.
How is Small Bowel Obstruction Treated?
The treatment for small bowel obstruction depends on the cause and severity of the condition. In some cases, it can be treated with conservative measures, such as fluids, antibiotics and nasogastric tube (a tube that goes through the nose into the stomach to remove air and fluid). In other cases, it may require surgery to remove the blockage or repair the damaged bowel.
The best way to prevent small bowel obstruction is to avoid factors that can increase the risk of adhesions, such as smoking, infection or multiple surgeries. People who have had weight-loss surgery should also follow their doctor’s advice on diet, exercise and supplements to maintain their health and weight loss.
Lisa Marie Presley’s Legacy
Lisa Marie Presley was born in 1968 and followed in her father’s footsteps as a musician. She released three albums over the course of her career and received generally positive reviews for her work. She was also known for her four high-profile marriages to Danny Keough (the father of her two children), Michael Jackson, Nicolas Cage and Michael Lockwood.
She was last seen in public two days before her death at the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills. She attended with her mother Priscilla Presley and watched Austin Butler win best actor in a film drama for his portrayal of Elvis in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis. Butler thanked the Presley family for their help during the film.
After her death, Lisa Marie Presley was buried next to her son Benjamin Keough, who killed himself in 2020. Her mother Priscilla Presley said that she was “the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known” and that she “don’t wish this on any mother”.
Lisa Marie Presley’s death shocked and saddened many fans and friends around the world. She will be remembered as a talented artist and a devoted mother who faced many challenges in her life.
