It’s been eight months since Lisa Marie Presley passed away at the age of 54.
Like her iconic father, Lisa Marie struggled with substance abuse issues throughout her life, and at the time of her death, it was widely believed that she had suffered an accidental overdose.
But the medical examiner’s report indicated that it was actually a bowel obstruction that claimed Lisa Marie’s life.
There’s reason to believe, however, that the two issues may have been related.
Bowel obstructions are common in opioid users, as constipation is a frequent side effect of that class of drugs.
But in Lisa Marie’s class, genetics and a botched medical procedure likely factored into her passing, as well.
“The obstruction itself was caused by scar tissue from a gastric bypass surgery that was performed years ago. At face value, that has little correlation to how her famous father died,” said Elvis historian Sally Hoedel, in a recent interview with The Sun.
“The obstruction compromised blood supply, which leads to tissue damage and then infection and then organ failure, which can result in death, as it did in this case,” Hoedel continued.
“Intestinal obstruction risk is increased after surgery, as it was in this case, but also when Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBS) and Chronic constipation are present.”
Hoedel went on to note that Lisa Marie complained of intestinal issues throughout her life, and she frequently noted that these problems seemed to be inherited from her father.
“Lisa Marie suffered from digestive/bowel disorder her entire life. She referred to it as a ‘chronic Presley problem’ and stated that it went back to childhood for her,” Hoedel said
While there’s no truth to the old urban legend that Elvis died on the toilet, the music legend struggled with digestive and dietary issues throughout his life.
And along with his addictions to prescription drugs, these problems may have been a factor in the heart attack that claimed Elvis’ life at age 42.
Sadly, if Lisa Marie had sought treatment earlier in life, the procedure might have alleviated her worst symptoms.
“Gastric bypass surgery is known to result in statistically significant improvement with IBS. Additionally, the pain that accompanies lifelong digestive issues would have seemed normal to her,” Hoedel said.
“Perhaps this is why she did not seek medical treatment sooner. She had suffered from gut discomfort her entire life.”
It’s worth noting that Lisa Marie also underwent a cosmetic procedure in the last year of her life, and the painkillers she was prescribed may have exacerbated her addiction issues.
Insiders say the mother of three was anxious about making promotional appearances for the biopic about her father, and she wanted to look her best for these events.
In the end, it seems that a variety of factors contributed to Lisa Marie’s premature death.
Our thoughts go out to her friends and family as they continue to mourn her loss.