What is bariatric surgery? Lisa Marie Presley’s cause of death revealed

Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis Presley, has had her cause of death revealed.

Presley, also a singer, died on 12 January this year after being rushed to a California hospital.

On Thursday, the medical examiner’s office ruled that she died of natural causes due to effects of a small bowel obstruction.

Los Angeles County Medical Examiner revealed that the complication came about as a result of bariatric surgery - a weight lost procedure - from several years ago.

What is bariatric surgery?

Bariatric surgery, also known as metabolic surgery, is a weight loss surgery that is is sometimes used for people who are obese.

The surgery can lead to significant weight loss, as well as improve conditions such type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure if they are obesity-related.

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There are different types of weight loss surgery, such as a gastric band, gastric bypass, and sleeve gastrectomy. All of these surgeries are made with the goal of making you feel fuller for longer, causing you to eat less food.

However, according to the NHS website it’s “a major operation and in most cases should only be considered after trying to lose weight through a healthy diet and exercise”.

There are also many potential long-term health risks, as with any major procedure, including bowel obstruction, dumping syndrome, low blood sugar, hernias, malnutrition, and in rare cases, death.

“The obstruction was in the form of a strangulated small bowel caused by adhesions that developed after bariatric surgery years ago,” the examiner said in a report. “This is a known long-term complication of this type of surgery.”

Speaking to NBC News, Dr. Marian Kurian, president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, said: “It’s a terrible tragedy what happened to her and her family, but in general, bariatric surgery is exceedingly safe. The risk of this type of thing occurring are very low.”

Symptoms of an obstruction such as Presley’s include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Dr. Ali Aminian, director of the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, said that any patients experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention.

According to the autopsy report and a coroner investigator, Presley had complained of abdominal pain in the months leading up to her death.

Presley was buried during a funeral at Graceland, next to her son Benjamin Keough, who died by suicide in 2020.

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