Los Angeles County Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Juan Carrillo determined Lisa Marie Presley’s cause of death was small bowel obstruction.
The only child of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, died Jan. 12 in a Southern California hospital at the age of 54. The autopsy report revealed the obstruction was “in the form of a strangulated small bowel caused by adhesions that developed after bariatric surgery years ago.” The medical examiner determined the her death was natural, according to NBC News.
View this post on Instagram
The date of Presley’s weight-loss surgery was not revealed. This type of obstruction is considered a common long-term complication of this type of procedure, according to NBC News.
The cause of death was written on the report as being “sequelae,” or aftereffect, “of small bowel obstruction.” Presley’s autopsy report did not show any additional significant health issues or medical complications.
Presley’s toxicology workup revealed that she had taken what examiners categorized as “therapeutic levels” of the pain reliever oxycodone. There were reportedly trace amounts of some other substances in her blood as well, but it was determined that none of these were contributing factors to her death, according to NBC News.
It was previously reported that Presley had complained about abdominal pain for months before her death.
The examiner’s report states Presley’s ex-husband, Danny Keough, found her unresponsive at her Calabasas home and she was rushed to the hospital. She had indicated she was experiencing abdominal pain that morning, so Keough took her children to school. Presley was already in cardiac arrest by the time he returned, according to NBC News.
View this post on Instagram
Presley had life-threatening heart rhythms while she was in the hospital and received a temporary pacemaker.
Doctors ran a brain scan to evaluate Presley’s condition, and it was revealed that she had already suffered a severe anoxic brain injury. Her condition declined at 4:48 p.m. She then went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead roughly 20 minutes later, according to People. (RELATED: Lisa Marie Presley’s Family Reportedly Battling Over Access To Her Fortune)
Carrillo’s report noted Presley had suffered from a “distended abdomen for ears,” and referenced the fact that she “did not seek medical attention” even after experiencing “abdominal pain for the past few months,” before she passed away. Presley also had metabolic acidosis, which is a buildup of acid resulting from kidney disease or failure.
Presley was laid to rest in Graceland alongside her father, Elvis Presley, and son Benjamin Keough.