Lisa-Marie Presley's Cause of Death Explained
Her autopsy report offers a new look at how she died.
The death of Lisa-Marie Presley, the only daughter of legendary singer Elvis Presley, at the age of 54, left behind many questions about how exactly she died. Some speculated that she may have died from a drug overdose, as she had a history of substance abuse struggles. Others believed it may have been linked to the rapid weight loss she experienced in the months leading up to her death. This week her autopsy report was released by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. According to the experts, her death was caused by a "sequelae of a small bowel obstruction." Here is what that means.
A small bowel obstruction is a blockage in the small intestine. It can be caused by scar tissue, a hernia, or cancer, causing bowel tissue to die or perforate, leading to death.
According to Presley's autopsy report, her bowel obstruction was a result of weight loss surgery she had years ago. Deputy medical examiner Dr. Juan M. Carrillo said it was a result of "adhesions (or, scar tissue) that developed after bariatric surgery years ago. This is a known long-term complication of this type of surgery."
Her autopsy also showed "therapeutic" levels of oxycodone in Presley's blood. Quetapine metabolite (depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar medication) and buprenorphine (a painkiller used to treat opioid addiction) were present but "not contributory to death."
Lisa-Marie died of natural causes. "There is no evidence of injury or foul play. The manner of death is deemed natural," Carrillo concluded.
The medications found in Presley's may "have slowed down the motility of the intestine and would have made it perhaps more likely" for it to get "obstructed by the adhesions," Dr. Michael Camilleri, a consultant and professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic told CNN.
"Unfortunately, adhesions can happen to anybody," he 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."
Presley complained of abdominal pain the morning of her death, January 12. She was hospitalized following an apparent cardio arrest and died shortly after.
