LOS ANGELES — Lisa Marie Presley died from a small bowel obstruction caused by an adhesion, according to a newly released medical examiner’s revealing surprising similarities between her sudden death in January and that of her famous father Elvis Presley in 1977.
Lisa Marie, who died on Jan. 12 at age 54, had been dealing with a series of health troubles in the months before her death just as Elvis had, including long-lasting fevers, nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting, according to the report.
Those adhesions causing the small bowel obstruction developed after gastric bypass surgery years ago and are a “known long-term complication” of gastric bypass surgery, according to Dr. Juan Carrillo, a deputy medical examiner.
A review of the toxicology results showed therapeutic levels of oxycodone in her blood, but did not contribute to her death, Carrillo said.
Presley died of a “sequelae of a small bowel obstruction,” according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. The manner of death was natural.
But according to separate toxicology reports also released the date of the medical examiner report, there were levels of multiple opioids found in Presley’s blood, including oxycodone and buprenorphine, the latter of which is used to treat opioid overuse, the New York Daily News reported.
Presley’s last public appearance was two days before her death, at the Jan. 10 Golden Globes Awards ceremony, where she spoke slowly in pre-show interviews and also appeared unsteady on her feet in behind-the-scenes video footage.
Presley was at the Golden Globes to support Austin Butler, who won the award for Best Actor in a Drama, Motion Picture for his portrayal of Elvis in director Baz Luhrmann’s biopic.
Two days later, she suffered a medical emergency and was found unconscious at her Calabasas home by her ex-husband Danny Keough and was taken to the West Hills Hospital and Medical Center, where she later went into cardiac arrest.
No indication was made public at the time of what may have caused the medical issue.
The primary cause of that medical emergency has now been determined to be a bowel obstruction, which could have been brought about by constipation from opioid use. According to reports, Presley had been prescribed opioids during her recovery from plastic surgery just months before her death and had a history of “overmedicating.”
The autopsy report said she had been complaining of stomach pain earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, Lisa Marie’s death has raised unexpected similarities to that of her father.
Although Elvis’ death certificate cited his cause of death as a heart attack, he also suffered similar gastrointestinal problems. According to PBS, pathologists Dr. Eric Muirhead and Dr. Noel Florredo found evidence of severe and chronic constipation during a post-mortem examination on Elvis.
PBS reported that Elvis’ constipation issues may have contributed to his death, as he had been seated on a toilet at his Graceland mansion in Memphis when he died and “straining very hard to have a bowel movement — a maneuver that put a great amount of pressure on his heart and aorta.”
Elvis, who was 42 when he died, was also discovered after suffering a medical emergency by someone close to him. His then-girlfriend Ginger Alden found him unconscious in the bathroom.
Another similarity in the last hours of their lives, is that while in the emergency room on Jan. 12, Lisa Marie also suffered heart issues.
Doctors had to implant a temporary pacemaker because of her life-threatening heart rhythms, according to her autopsy report. Her condition continued to decline, the report said, until she went into cardiac arrest. She was pronounced dead 20 minutes later.
Also found in her blood were trace levels of the antipsychotic drug quetiapine, which has the potential to increase the fatal risks of opioids, according to the National Library of Medicine.
The Daily News reported that Presley allegedly had been taking weight loss medication and reportedly lost between 40 and 50 pounds in the months leading up to her death.
Presley's autopsy report, released July 13, says Presley's condition is a common complication from bariatric surgery, which is a weight-loss procedure. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is a procedure often done when other weight loss methods haven't worked or if a person has a serious medical condition.
Ten days after her death, friends, family and fans of Presley gathered at Elvis Presley's home Graceland to pay tribute to her. Holding back tears, Priscilla spoke briefly at the service, reading some words prepared by one of Lisa Marie's three surviving children.
“I have no idea how to put my mother into words,” Priscilla read. “Truth is, there are too many. Lisa Marie Presley was an icon, a role model, a superhero to many people all over the world.”
Mostly, Presley, with her hooded eyes and smoldering looks that were patently reminiscent of Elvis, became known largely as keeper of his legacy and inheritor of his estate.
Born on Feb. 1, 1968, in Memphis, Lisa Marie was a singer and songwriter in her own right with three albums and hits such as “Don’t Cry Daddy” and “Lights Out.”
Although Presley was famous from the moment she was born and a singer in her own right, she gained her own fame in pop culture with her surprise marriage to embattled pop superstar Michael Jackson and, later, being wed to Elvis aficionado and actor Nicolas Cage.
According to Michael Jackson biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli, Lisa Marie Presley was the “love of Jackson's life.” Jackson wanted her to have his children, but Presley resisted, feeling the marriage wasn't strong enough and fearing a custody fight if they were to divorce — which they did.
Both those marriages to Jackson and Cage were short-lived, although more lasting unions brought four children, including her son, Benjamin Keough, who died by suicide in 2020 and was buried at Graceland alongside his grandfather Elvis, and now his mother.
Presley left behind three daughters, 34-year-old “Daisy Jones & the Six” actor Riley Keough and 15-year-old twins Harper and Finley Lockwood from her marriage to American guitarist and producer Michael Lockwood.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” said Presley’s mother, Priscilla Presley, in a statement to The Associated Press at the time. “She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known.”