Going under the knife can come with deadly consequences.
That's a sentiment Botched star and renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Terry Dubrow shared in light of news that Lisa Marie Presley's Jan. 12 death was due to a bowel obstruction that stemmed from a weight loss procedure.
More specifically, Dr. Dubrow explained the potential risks of getting bariatric surgery—the umbrella term for weight loss surgeries such as a gastric sleeve, gastric bypass and adjustable gastric band, per the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
"I have read Lisa Marie's autopsy report. She had the most advanced kind," he said about the 54-year-old's procedure in a TMZ Live video on July 14. "They made a new connection between her stomach and her intestines, and the most common complication when you go inside the abdomen and do that kind of surgery is that scar tissue forms."
He continued, "Occasionally, any time in the future when you've had this type of bypass bariatric surgery, those adhesions can block parts of the small intestine, called a small bowel obstruction."
According to the reconstructive surgeon, if this goes on long enough, it can cause the intestines to die because of strangulation.
"What's really scary," Dr. Dubrow noted, "is 915 centimeters, which means 30 feet of her small intestines had died before she made it to the hospital."
Lisa's cause of death was due to complications resulting from a small bowel obstruction and has been ruled as natural, per records from the County of Los Angeles Medical-Examiner, which were reviewed by E! News.
She was the only daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley and is survived by daughter Riley Keough, 34, and her 15-year-old twins Harper and Finley Lockwood. Lisa's son Benjamin Keough died by suicide in 2020 at 27 years old.
Officials noted in their report that the singer had complained about abdominal pain in the months before her passing. She was found unresponsive in her Los Angeles-area home on Jan. 12.
"It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us," Priscilla told People at the time. "She was the most passionate strong and loving woman I have ever known. We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers."