A bariatric surgeon explains the signs and risks of a small bowel obstruction after Lisa Marie Presley died from the complication.
Six months after Presley was found unresponsive in her California home, an autopsy report revealed that she died from a severe complication of bariatric surgery she had years ago.
Recommended Videos
The surgery is performed to promote long-term weight loss when diet and exercise aren’t working.
Dr. Husain Abbas, who is a bariatric surgeon with HCA Florida Memorial Hospital, said while obstructions can happen, what happened to Presley overall is very rare. He explained how a bowel obstruction affects the body.
“It’s as if you imagine a garden hose and the garden hose twists on itself. That’s basically what it’s doing. So, if you imagine your bowel, the blood vessel goes through to it, and it twists on itself and it cuts its own blood supply,” Abbas said. “If you don’t untwist it, that’s basically all you need to do. Get to it in time, untwist the bowel, and save the bowel.”
MORE: How Lisa Marie Presley’s weight-loss surgery contributed to her death
Abbas said it’s important to be aware of the symptoms of a small bowel obstruction, which includes the following:
- Cramping, nausea, bloating
- Dehydration, fever, lack of appetite
- Severe constipation and abdominal pain
Abbas suggests not masking abdominal pain with medication.
“The simple rule for all our bariatric patients is if you have abdominal pain, not going away, getting worse, please call us and seek medical attention immediately,” he said.
Abbas also ensured that the surgery is safe.
“This surgery is as safe, probably safer than gall bladder surgery. In terms of its risk, in terms of its mortality which we had here, and also the complications. So very, very low. And the benefits significantly outweigh those risks,” Abbas said.