How Did Lisa Marie Presley Die? Cause of Death Revealed

The daughter of Elvis Presley recently died, and a lot of people have been wondering what happened to her. How did Lisa Marie Presley die? Keep reading as her cause of death has finally been revealed!

How Did Lisa Marie Presley Die?

Lisa Marie Presley died after suffering from a small bowel obstruction, which was a complication from having weight loss surgery previously. Essentially, her small bowel had become twisted or trapped because of scar tissue that had developed after the bariatric surgery

One of the common complications of weight loss surgery is the development of a bowel obstruction, and unfortunately, it’s not always caught before it becomes life-threatening. In her case, the obstruction caused a toxic build-up of acids in her bloodstream, which caused her heart to stop beating, leading to cardiac arrest. 

Did Lisa Marie Have Drugs In Her System When She Died?

Lisa Marie did have drugs in her system when she died, although they were in the therapeutic range, which means they did not directly contribute to her death. One of the drugs in her system was oxycodone, which is an opiate painkiller, and she also had quetiapine and buprenorphine in her system.

February 20, 2018 – Oxycodone (OxyContin) 10mg. Image source: Psiĥedelisto, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

None of these drugs contributed to her death, although the oxycodone could have slowed her digestive system down. Oxycodone and other opioid painkillers cause constipation, which could have made her more prone to developing small bowel obstruction. 

Was Lisa Marie Presley Sick Before She Died? 

Lisa Marie complained of pain the day she died, feeling it in her abdomen. It had been an ongoing problem for her for several months. She also felt nauseous, had a fever, and was throwing up. 

August 15, 2008 – Kidneys. Image source: Roxbury-de, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

When she went to the hospital, it was noted that she had an extended stomach, which is a common symptom of a bowel obstruction, and she also had metabolic acidosis. This occurs when your bodily fluid becomes filled with acid and is often a sign your kidneys cannot filter out the acid from your blood quickly enough. 

Where Did Lisa Marie Presley Die?

Lisa Marie Presley's Final Home Is a Stunner

Lisa Marie was in her Calabasas, California, home when she suddenly stopped breathing, and although 911 was called and she was taken to the hospital, she passed away hours later. 

How Old Was Lisa Marie Presley When She Died?

December 21, 1970 – Headshot of Elvis Presley. Image source: Ollie Atkins, chief White House photographer at the time. See ARC record., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Lisa Marie died when she was just 54 years old. Unfortunately, if you know that her father was Elvis Presley, then you know he also passed away at a young age as he was just 42 years old when he died

When Was Lisa Marie Presley Last Seen Publicly? 

January 20, 2023 – Lisa Marie Presley on her way to the Golden Globes. Image source: ruthdaniel3444, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sadly, you can look at the photos and videos of Lisa Marie’s last public appearance just two days before she died, and you can tell that she doesn’t look well. While hindsight is 20/20, when you see her appearance you’re immediately drawn to how disheveled and sick she looked. However, no one knew that while she was being interviewed at the Golden Globes that day would be one of the last times anyone would see her alive. 

Lisa Marie Presley Crashed Austin Butler’s Golden Globes Interview in Last ET Appearance

How Many Kids Did Lisa Marie Presley Have?

Lisa Marie had four children, two of them being from one marriage and the other two from another marriage. She had Riley, whom she had with her ex-husband Danny Keough, and she’d go on to have a son, Benjamin, with him too. 

Her other two girls were from her marriage to Michael Lockwood, and they are twins born in 2008 named Harper and Finley. Sadly, her one and only son, Benjamin, committed suicide in 2020 at the age of 27. She had been inconsolable and grieving this huge loss ever since. 

Where Is Lisa Marie Presley Buried?

March 19, 2011 – Graceland. Image source: Joseph Novak, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lisa Marie was buried in Graceland to be with the remainder of her departed family, which includes her father, Elvis, and son, Benjamin. 

Who Inherits Lisa Marie Presley’s Money And Assets After Her Death?

Graceland is a place that’ll stay in the family, seeing as her three living children are going to be inheriting the estate. When Elvis died, it was Lisa Marie who inherited Graceland, and she was only 9 years old at the time. Riley is an adult, so she will likely be the overseer of the estate until Harper and Finley are of legal age.

December 1, 2019 – Priscilla Presley. Image source: ant gorman, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At that point, all three will be there to continue the tradition of Graceland, which will become the memorial site for the entire family, including Priscilla, Riley, Harper, and Finley when their time comes to leave this Earth. 

As with most deaths, nothing is ever easy, and infighting seems to happen a lot, which is what happened when her mother, Priscilla, decided to challenge Lisa Marie’s will. In the amendment to the will from 2016, Lisa Marie put Riley and Benjamin as the co-trustees, and it ousted Priscilla altogether from that position. 

January 22, 2017 – Riley Keough at The Discovery premiere during the Sundance Film Festival at Eccles Center Theatre in Park City, Utah. Image source: Dora Britt, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Unfortunately, it was never changed when Benjamin died, so it’ll leave Riley as the sole trustee. We don’t know the details of the legal challenge as it was not publicly disclosed. However, we know that it was eventually settled, and given that the three girls will inherit Graceland, we assume Riley alone, for now, will oversee the estate. 

Who Was Lisa Marie Presley Married To?

1993 – Michael Jackson on his Dangerous Tour. Image source: Constru-centro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lisa Marie was not married at the time of her death, but she had been married four times in her life. Her first marriage was to Danny Keough from 1988 to 1994, then she married Michael Jackson, which lasted from 1994 until 1996. She went on to marry Nicolas Cage in 2002 and stayed with him until 2004. After that, she married Michael Lockwood, and they were married from 2006 until 2021. 

What Weight Loss Surgery Did Lisa Marie Presley Have?

It’s unknown which weight loss surgery Lisa Marie had done, although a lot of medical experts have weighed in on the matter since her death and said that it wasn’t the sleeve surgery. We also don’t know when this procedure was done since those details have not been made public, except that her weight loss surgery was performed years ago. 

If you’ve had weight loss surgery and have steady abdominal pain, it’s best to seek medical attention right away. A blockage could be to blame, even if the surgery was many years ago, just as in the case of Lisa Marie. 

What Are The Symptoms of a Small Bowel Obstruction?

A lot of people have been wondering what the symptoms are of a small bowel obstruction given that it killed Lisa Marie. If you have a blockage in your gastrointestinal tract, you may notice symptoms including

  • Fever
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Abdominal pain 
  • Dehydration
  • Cramps
  • Bloating
  • Constipation 
  • Distention of the abdomen 
  • Inability to eat or lack of appetite 

It’s important to note that if you have a small bowel obstruction, the symptoms can depend on just how bad the blockage is and what type it is, such as a complete blockage or partial.

If you have a complete blockage then you may only experience severe pain, which will progress, and it could kill you within hours. That being said, partial blockages can take a week or several days to progress. With a partial blockage, you may notice cramping followed by nausea for a few days, which is then followed by severe pain and other symptoms. 

What Causes a Small Bowel Obstruction?

There are several medical conditions and situations that can cause a small bowel obstruction including the following: 

  • Tumors
  • Hernias 
  • IBD, also known as inflammatory bowel disease 
  • Scar tissue build-up, also known as adhesion
  • Bariatric surgery
  • Bowel resection
  • Hysterectomy
  • Appendectomy 
  • Colon resection surgery 

How Is A Small Bowel Obstruction Diagnosed?

Unknown – Upright abdominal X-ray demonstrating a bowel obstruction. Image source: James Heilman, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

An X-ray of the abdomen is often used as the primary way to diagnose a small bowel obstruction. Other testing might be done such as a CT scan, blood test, and physical examination as well as a medical history with an emphasis on any abdominal surgeries or other similar procedures. 

What’s The Treatment For Small Bowel Obstruction?

The course of treatment for a small bowel obstruction will depend on whether it’s a partial blockage or complete blockage and what the cause of the obstruction is. However, all patients with the obstruction are admitted to the hospital where they are given IV fluids and an NG tube is placed into their nose, which goes into their stomach to help with decompressing the bowel. Furthermore, anti-nausea medications are given to patients who are throwing up or dry heaving.

If the blockage is a complete one, then surgery is performed to find and often remove the cause of it. Sometimes, a portion of the small bowel will need to be cut out if it’s apparent a disease, such as cancer or a tumor, is behind the obstruction. When this happens, the small bowel needs to be put back together after the damaged section has been removed.

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