Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of the late Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley, died on January 12, 2023, at the age of 54. The singer and songwriter, who followed in her father’s footsteps as a musician, was rushed to a hospital in California after suffering a cardiac arrest at her home in Calabasas. Her death shocked and saddened her fans and family, who were still grieving the loss of her son Benjamin Keough, who killed himself in 2020.
But what was the cause of Lisa Presley’s death? How did a weight-loss surgery she had years ago lead to a fatal complication? Here is what we know from the official autopsy report and medical experts.
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Small Bowel Obstruction: A Rare but Serious Condition
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, Lisa Presley died of natural causes due to the effects of a small bowel obstruction. A small bowel obstruction is a blockage in the small intestine, often caused by 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 autopsy report found that the obstruction was caused by adhesions (or scar tissue) that developed after bariatric surgery she underwent several years ago. Bariatric surgery is a type of weight-loss surgery that reduces the size of the stomach or bypasses part of the small intestine. It can help people with obesity lose weight and improve their health, but it also has some risks and side effects.
One of the possible long-term complications of bariatric surgery is the formation of adhesions, which are bands of fibrous tissue that stick together and can block or twist the intestines. Adhesions can occur after any abdominal surgery, but they are more common and severe after bariatric surgery. They can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, bloating and constipation.
Dr. Angelique Campen, an emergency room physician at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, told CNN that deaths from small bowel obstructions are rare. In many cases, patients with such conditions experience significant pain and would probably be admitted to hospital. However, some people may not seek medical attention until it is too late.
Dr. Folasade P. May, an associate professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and director of the Melvin and Bren Simon 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”. She explained that when the bowel tissue dies or perforates, it can release bacteria and toxins into the bloodstream, causing sepsis (a life-threatening infection) and shock (a drop in blood pressure). This can lead to organ failure and cardiac arrest.
Medications: A Possible Contributing Factor
The autopsy report also revealed that Presley had therapeutic levels of oxycodone (a painkiller) in her blood at the time of her death. Oxycodone is an opioid medication that can be prescribed for moderate to severe pain. It can also slow down the movement of the intestines and make it more likely for them to get obstructed by adhesions.
The report also stated that quetiapine metabolite (used to treat depression, schizophrenia or manic episodes) and buprenorphine (a painkiller that can also be used to treat opioid addiction) were present but not contributory to death. However, these medications may have also affected Presley’s intestinal motility and masked some of the symptoms of 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 made it more likely for her to develop complications from small bowel obstruction. He added that adhesions can happen to anyone who has had abdominal surgery and that just because there were other medications on board does not necessarily mean that Presley was more prone to develop them.
A Tragic Loss for Music and Family
Lisa Marie Presley was born in 1968 and was the only child of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley. She inherited her father’s musical talent and released three albums over the course of her career. She was also known for her four high-profile marriages, to Danny Keough (with whom she had two children), Michael Jackson, Nicolas Cage and Michael Lockwood (with whom she had twin daughters).
Presley’s death came less than three years after her son Benjamin Keough, who bore a striking resemblance to his grandfather Elvis, died by suicide at the age of 27. Presley was buried next to her son at Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tennessee.
Her mother, Priscilla Presley, filed a legal challenge to the validity of her will, 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 (Presley’s daughter and actress) as co-trustees. The legal dispute was settled in May 2023, but the details were never made public.
Presley’s death was a tragic loss for the music world and her family, who are still mourning her and her son. Her fans and friends have paid tribute to her legacy and expressed their condolences on social media. She will be remembered as a talented and beautiful woman who faced many challenges in her life but never gave up on her dreams.
