Whitney Houston didn’t get the facelift she was reported to be seeking, but the 42-page coroner’s report reveals scars indicating that she likely had other cosmetic procedures.
Whitney Houston reportedly was turned down for plastic surgery after failing a routine medical checkup in the weeks before her death, but the coroner’s final report this month reveals signs suggesting past cosmetic procedures.
The coroner’s document described “small scars … associated with breast implants.”
Dr. John Di Saia, a plastic surgeon in San Clemente and Orange, this week blogs his interpretations of the cosmetic ”inventory” revealed in the coroner’s report.
Among them, he writes:
“Stomach scars: Probably a tummy tuck. Liposuction scars are usually small and probably would have escaped the eye of the pathologist.
“Chest scars: Probably a breast augmentation plus or minus breast lift surgery.
“One upper thigh: Probably a scar revision. Maybe not cosmetic. Cosmetic procedures usually occur on both sides.”
Houston also wore dentures, the coroner’s report said.
“This is relatively common among long-term drug abusers,” ABC News reported. “Habitual use of drugs such as crack cocaine, which contains acidic chemicals, will lead to the wearing down of the tooth’s pulpy tissue over time. Tooth decay can also be the result of vomiting and tooth grinding, which is common among drug and alcohol abusers.”
Despite her natural beauty, Houston has long been thought to have benefited from cosmetic enhancements, particularly to stave off signs of aging.
She was believed to have had “liposuction and … facial rejuvenation procedures to keep her middle-aged skin young, smooth and wrinkle-free,” according to the plastic surgery website Make Me Heal.
“The only place on her smooth as satin skin seems to be less than perfect is on her neck,” the site said in 2008, “where the skin is just starting to sag and reveal her actual age, which Whitney will no doubt correct with a tightening procedure like a necklift or lower facelift on her next visit to the plastic surgeon’s office.”
Plastic surgeon refused to treat Whitney Houston weeks before her death, report says
Whitney Houston was refused plastic surgery when she failed a routine medical examination just two weeks before her death, RadarOnline reported.
The plastic surgeon, Dr. Marc Mani, declined to perform a facelift on the "I Will Always Love You" singer when she failed a medical check for her heart, lung and liver, a source told the gossip site.
"She was concerned about her appearance and wanted a facelift," the source said.
Whitney Houston was found dead in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton hotel last Saturday.
The surgeon refused to comment on the claims citing federal medical privacy laws.
The cause of death is yet to be determined pending toxicology tests but preliminary results revealed sedatives were found in the star's system. Houston's funeral takes place Saturday.
Whitney Houston's Death: 9 Surprising Details in Coroner's Report
The Spoon
A "small spoon with a white crystal like substance in it and a rolled-up piece of white paper" were found in the bathroom where Houston died, according to the coroner's report. Such items are used to snort cocaine.
"Some people use a spoon for cocaine administration," a law enforcement official involved in Houston's case said. "These days it's likely around for meth, which was not found at the scene, according to the investigator, so likely used as inhalation tool."
Drug Use
Previous reports said traces of cocaine and prescription medications were in her system. Both the initial and final reports stated that blood tests indicate that she smoked marijuana within two weeks before her death. Marijuana is legal in California if used for medicinal purposes.
Forensic toxicologist Bruce Goldberger said the details about her blood from the toxicology report indicate that she was "acutely intoxicated from cocaine" at the time of her death and was a "repeated cocaine user."
A "plethora of prescription medication bottles" were found in the room, according to the final report. The final report lists a total of 12 different medications, including anti-anxiety medication Xanax, and muscle relaxer Flexeril, prescribed from five different doctors.
Goldberger described the level of prescription drugs in her system as "mild" and said Xanax did not contribute to her death.
An open bottle of champagne also sat on the mini-bar and an open can of beer was on a table. There was also a bottle of beer on a nightstand and several loose tablets.
Houston's family has expressed surprise that she was using drugs again. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, sister-in-law Pat Houston attributed Whitney's downfall to a lifestyle change where she saw Whitney "chasing a dream ... looking for comfort, love ... and it was younger."
She said that Whitney was chasing someone "that would ultimately hurt her."
While admitting she was concerned about the singer's behavior at a party two nights before her death, Pat Houston told Winfrey that she didn't think the star was abusing drugs in her final days.
But after the initial toxicology report was released, Houston wrote in a statement to The Associated Press: "We are saddened to learn of the toxicology results, although we are glad to now have closure."
The Missing Items
The coroner reported that when found in her room at the Beverly Hilton, Houston's purse contained her wallet, but the "decedent's California driver's license had been removed from the wallet, which was inside the purse, prior to my arrival."
"Also prior to my arrival, the majority of the decedent's prescription medication bottles had been removed from a brown bag that was on top of the table in the southeast corner of the living room, and then placed on top of that same table," the report reads.
It has been determined that no foul play was involved in the singer's death.
Breast Implants
It is unclear how many plastic surgeries Houston underwent throughout her life, but it now seems clear that she did at some point undergo breast-augmentation surgery. The coroner's report described and "small scars" on her breasts "associated with breast implants."
