Bee Gee died from twisted bowel condition
Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees died because his bowel and small intestine had become so twisted they restricted his blood flow, according to post-mortem examination results.
Gibb, 53, died in Miami, Florida, on Sunday, three days after suffering a heart attack prior to undergoing emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage.
Dr Bruce Hyma, the Miami-Dade County medical examiner, said Gibb died because a condition called ischemic enteropathy restricted the flow of blood to his bowel.
The autopsy, which was performed on Tuesday, did not give the immediate cause of the twisting, but it said the singer was born with a malformed intestine that experts said could lead to life-threatening kinks.
Dr Jeffrey Raskin, interim chief of gastroenterology at the University of Miami School of Medicine, said a twisted bowel could cause a lack of blood supply to the organ and an array of other internal problems.
“It can lead to a cardiovascular collapse and possibly could have contributed to the cardiac arrest,” said Dr Raskin, who was not involved in Gibb’s treatment.
“The event itself leads to a bunch of metabolic and potentially infectious cardiovascular things which lead to a death.”
Gibb’s brothers, Robin and Barry, have questioned the decision by doctors at Mount Sinai Medical Centre in Miami Beach to operate after their brother’s heart attack. A hospital spokeswoman declined to comment yesterday.
The Bee Gees, who won seven Grammy Awards, were enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and were best known for disco hits like Saturday Night Fever and Stayin’ Alive.
Maurice’s funeral was held yesterday.
