Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of the legendary rock ‘n’ roll star Elvis Presley, died of natural causes on January 12, 2023, at the age of 54. The cause of her death was revealed by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office on July 14, 2023, after months of speculation and investigation. According to the autopsy report, Presley died of complications from a prior weight-loss surgery that resulted in a small bowel obstruction.
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What is a small bowel obstruction?
A small bowel obstruction is a condition where the small intestine is blocked by something that prevents the normal passage of food and fluids. The blockage can be caused by various factors, such as scar tissue, hernia, cancer, medication, or inflammation. Without prompt treatment, a small bowel obstruction can lead to serious complications, such as tissue death, perforation, infection, or sepsis. In some cases, it can also cause cardiac arrest and death.
How did weight-loss surgery cause Presley’s obstruction?
The autopsy report stated that Presley’s obstruction was caused by adhesions, which are bands of scar tissue that form after surgeries or injuries. The report also noted that Presley had undergone bariatric surgery, which is a type of weight-loss surgery that reduces the size of the stomach or bypasses part of the small intestine. Bariatric surgery can help people with obesity lose weight and improve their health, but it also carries some risks and side effects. One of them is the development of adhesions in the abdomen, which can occur years after the surgery. According to CNN, this is a known long-term complication of this type of surgery.
The report also found that Presley had therapeutic levels of oxycodone, a painkiller, and quetiapine metabolite, an antidepressant, in her blood at the time of her death. These medications may have slowed down the movement of her intestine and made it more likely for it to get obstructed by the adhesions. However, the report clarified that these drugs were not contributory to her death.
What were the signs and symptoms of Presley’s condition?
The report described 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, 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 professor of gastroenterology at Mayo Clinic, told CNN that deaths from small bowel obstructions are rare and that patients usually experience significant pain and seek medical attention before it becomes fatal. He added that adhesions can happen to anyone who has had abdominal surgery and that there is no way to prevent them.
How did Presley’s family and fans react to her death?
Presley’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. She is survived by her mother Priscilla Presley and her three other children: Riley Keough, Finley Lockwood, and Harper Lockwood.
Presley was also known for her music career and her four high-profile marriages to Danny Keough, Michael Jackson, Nicolas Cage, and Michael Lockwood. She released three albums over the course of her career and was involved in various charitable causes.
Her mother Priscilla filed a legal challenge to her will’s validity after her death, arguing that she was unaware of a 2016 amendment that had removed her as a trustee overseeing Lisa Marie’s estate. The amendment named Benjamin and Riley as co-trustees instead. The legal dispute was settled in May 2023, but the details were never made public.
Presley’s death also sparked a lawsuit by a private lending company that claimed she owed them $3.8 million for a loan she took out in 2019. The company said they were unable to contact her about the loan since March 2022 and demanded payment from her estate within 45 days. The outcome of this case is unknown at this time.
Presley’s legacy as the daughter of Elvis Presley and a talented artist in her own right will live on in the hearts and minds of her fans and loved ones. Her tragic death also serves as a reminder of the potential dangers and complications of weight-loss surgery and the importance of seeking medical help when experiencing abdominal pain or discomfort.
