The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled on Thursday (July 13, 2023) that singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley died of natural causes. According to an autopsy report, her cardiac arrest resulted from “sequelae of a small bowel obstruction.”
This particular complication happens when a blockage in the small intestine prevents or slows down the movement of food or liquid. It is a potentially dangerous condition often resulting from medication, colon cancer, hernia, or adhesions (scar tissue) that form following surgeries. Some conditions causing inflammation in the intestines can also result in small bowel obstructions.
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Deputy medical examiner Dr. Juan M. Carrillo noted that Presley’s small bowel obstruction was due to scar tissue that formed after bariatric surgery – a weight-loss surgery she underwent many years ago.
“This is a known long-term complication of this type of surgery,” Carrillo said.
Presley’s autopsy toxicology results were also reviewed, wherein it was found out that she had therapeutic levels of oxycodone – which means it’s within the range of being medically beneficial and not hazardous.
Quetiapine metabolite and buprenorphine were also found but were said to have not contributed to her sudden death. Quetiapine metabolite is widely used to treat schizophrenia. At the same time, buprenorphine relieves pain and is often used to treat opioid addiction.
Lisa Marie Presley Dead At 54
Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley, died on January 12, 2023. The singer-songwriter complained of severe abdominal pain and was later found unresponsive – following an apparent cardiac arrest – at her home in Calabasas, California.
Presley was said to be not breathing when found by the paramedics, who provided immediate treatment and later transported her to West Hills Hospital in Southern California. However, despite medical intervention, she was declared dead soon after. Presley was 54.
Truly, Presley’s death shook the entire entertainment industry. She was last seen publicly just two days before her death at the 2023 Golden Globes, which she graced with her mother to support the biographical drama film Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann.
In a statement, the Presley family, including her mother Priscilla, were “shocked and devastated” by her tragic death. On January 22, 2023, Presley was honored at Graceland with a public memorial. She was remembered as a loving mother and celebrated as a protector of her father’s legacy.
More than a thousand people gathered at Graceland to mourn her death. There were performances from Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses, Alanis Morissette, and The Blackwood Brothers Quartet.
Priscilla Presley also read a poem written by one of Presley’s three daughters called “The Old Soul.”
“Our heart is broken. Lisa, we all love you,” Priscilla said after reading the poem.
Surely, Lisa Marie Presley will forever be loved and remembered.
