Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of the late Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley, passed away on January 12, 2023, at the age of 54. She was a singer-songwriter who followed in her father’s footsteps and released three albums over the course of her career. She was also well-known for her four high-profile marriages, to Danny Keough, Michael Jackson, Nicolas Cage and Michael Lockwood.
But what was Lisa Marie’s cause of death? How did the only child of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll die so young? The answer may surprise you.
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A rare complication from weight-loss surgery
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s report, Lisa Marie died of natural causes due to a “sequelae of a small bowel obstruction”. This means that she had a blockage in her small intestine that prevented food and fluids from passing through. This can lead to serious complications, such as bowel tissue death, infection, perforation and sepsis.
The report also revealed that the cause of her small bowel obstruction was “adhesions (or, scar tissue) that developed after bariatric surgery years ago”. Bariatric surgery is a type of weight-loss surgery that reduces the size of the stomach or bypasses part of the digestive system. It can help people who are obese or have obesity-related health problems lose weight and improve their quality of life.
However, bariatric surgery also has some risks and side effects, such as bleeding, infection, ulcers, hernias and nutritional deficiencies. One of the most common long-term complications is adhesions, which are bands of scar tissue that form between organs or tissues in the abdomen. Adhesions can cause pain, inflammation and obstruction in the digestive tract.
According to CNN, Lisa Marie underwent bariatric surgery several years ago to lose weight. The medical examiner’s report stated that this was a “known long-term complication of this type of surgery”. However, it is unclear when exactly she had the surgery and what type it was.
A sudden cardiac arrest
The medical examiner’s report also stated that Lisa Marie suffered a cardiac arrest as a result of her small bowel obstruction. Cardiac arrest is a condition in which the heart stops beating suddenly and unexpectedly. It can be caused by many factors, such as heart disease, trauma, drug overdose or electrolyte imbalance.
Cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack, which is caused by a blockage in the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the heart. However, both conditions can be fatal if not treated immediately. Cardiac arrest requires CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and defibrillation (electric shock) to restore the heart rhythm.
According to BBC News, Lisa Marie 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. Her last public appearance was two days before her death, at the Golden Globes.
The medical examiner’s report also noted that Lisa Marie had therapeutic levels of oxycodone (a painkiller), quetiapine metabolite (an antidepressant) and buprenorphine (a painkiller or addiction treatment) in her blood at the time of her death. However, these drugs were not considered to be contributory to her death.
A tragic loss for her family and fans
Lisa Marie’s death shocked and saddened her family and fans around the world. She was buried next to her son Benjamin Keough, who died by suicide in 2020 at the age of 27. She also left behind another son, Riley Keough, an actress and model, and twin daughters Harper and Finley Lockwood.
Her mother, Priscilla Presley, filed a legal challenge to Lisa Marie’s will after her death. She claimed that she was unaware of a 2016 amendment that removed her as a trustee overseeing Lisa Marie’s estate. Instead, the amendment named Benjamin and Riley as co-trustees. The legal dispute was settled in May 2023.
Lisa Marie Presley was a talented and troubled artist who struggled with fame, addiction and personal issues throughout her life. She also inherited her father’s legacy and fortune, which brought her both joy and sorrow. She will be remembered as a loving mother, daughter and friend who touched many lives with her music and spirit.
