Killer complication of weight-loss surgery revealed: How life-changing procedure can obstruct bowel

Lisa Marie Presley died of a blocked bowel as a result of previous weight-loss surgeries, it was revealed today.

Elvis Presley’s 54-year-old daughter was rushed to hospital on Jan. 12 after going into cardiac arrest.

A report from the LA County coroner has now confirmed that the star died of a small intestinal obstruction, which was a complication of going under the knife for weight loss surgery years earlier.

Toxicology results also showed the singer-songwriter had “therapeutic” levels of the strong painkiller oxycodone in her blood, with a second opioid buprenorphine – used to treat heroin and methadone addiction – also found.

There were also traces of quetiapine, an antipsychotic drug, reports TMZ.

Mrs. Presley’s small bowl blockage is thought to have caused a strangulated small intestine, which could be as long as 30 feet.

It is unclear how this complication developed, but it usually occurs when part of the intestine becomes trapped, cutting off the blood supply.

Gangrene – a serious condition in which body tissue dies due to a loss of blood supply – can develop in as little as six hours.

This can cause the intestinal wall to die, which can lead to a rupture.

This allows the contents of the intestines to leak into the surrounding abdominal cavity, causing infection.

Consequently, it can lead to sepsis – when the immune system overreacts to an infection and begins to damage the body’s tissues and organs. Sepsis can be deadly and needs urgent treatment.

In Mrs. Presley’s case, the strangulated bowel was caused by adhesions – areas of scar tissue that stick together and can clog the bowel.

According to TMZ, the adhesions developed years earlier after a gastric bypass.

The weight-loss procedure, which costs up to £15,000 in the UK and $25,000 in the US, involves attaching the upper part of the stomach to the small intestine to reduce the number of calories the body absorbs from food and increase the feeling of of fullness.

Every year around 6,600 Britons undergo bariatric surgery on the NHS, while 250,000 Americans go under the knife.

While the surgery can lead to significant weight loss over the course of a few years, it can cause a range of complications, including blockage of the intestines.

This can happen due to scarring and reduced blood flow to the surgery site, causing food to get trapped and the intestines to become kinked or twisted.

Sufferers may have difficulty swallowing, vomit frequently, and have abdominal pain.

Treatment may include using a thin, flexible tube passed down the throat to help clear the blockage.

The coroner’s report also confirms that Ms Presley underwent plastic surgery and was prescribed opioids two months before her death, with the star having a history of ‘over-medication’ – forgetting to take her medication and then taking it again.

According to the reports, the star had a “history of alcohol and drug abuse.”

She had attended the 80th Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles with her mother Priscilla just two days before her death.

The mother and daughter duo made it a point to be at the awards show in support of Baz Luhrmann’s critically acclaimed biopic Elvis (2022) starring Austin Butler as the legendary King Of Rock And Roll, Elvis Presley.

Ms. Presley was trying to lose weight for Elvis Awards season, with sources claiming she had been on weight loss drugs. She had lost 23 kg and had plastic surgery two months before the Golden Globes.

It’s not clear which weight-loss drugs Ms. Presley was taking, but Wegovy, the newest weight-loss medication on the market, has proven very popular since it was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

As she walked the event’s red carpet, Ms. Presley looked frail and frail, prompting her to lean on longtime friend of the family, Jerry Schilling, who is now 81 years old.

While being interviewed by Billy Bush for Extra, she clasped arms with Schilling and told him, “I’m going to grab your arm.”

Ms Presley’s life was tumultuous, with five stints in rehab for cocaine and opioid abuse, four failed marriages – including one to Michael Jackson – as well as the loss of her son to suicide and a fierce custody battle over her twin girls with an ex-husband whom she falsely accused of having child pornography.

Sources told TMZ that Ms. Presley’s housekeeper was left unresponsive in her bedroom by her housekeeper and that her ex-husband, Danny Keough, who she lived with, was performing CPR until paramedics arrived.

The source added that “at least once someone administered epinephrine at the scene” – more commonly known as epinephrine – to help Ms Presley get her pulse back.

LA County Sheriff’s Department told Dailymail.com: “Deputies from Lost Hills Station responded to a request for help from LA County Fire, near the 9500 block of Normandy Drive in Calabasas regarding an adult female, about 55, for a medical emergency / woman not breathing.

“The female adult was transported to a local hospital by the LA County Fire Department, where they were released to the hospital’s care.”

The Hollywood reporter reported that firefighters responded and were able to sound the woman before she was transported to West Hills Hospital.