How Did Whitney Houston Die? Singer Reportedly Failed Routine Checkup for Facelift Shortly Before Death

Whitney Houston's funeral took place Saturday, with family, celebrities and fans gathering in Newark, N.J., to pay tribute to their beloved Nippy. The superstar singer was remembered during the heartfelt homegoing ceremony at New Hope Baptist Church and is being buried Sunday at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, N.J., next to her father.

I never told you that when you were born, the Holy Spirit told me that you would not be with me long, her mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston, wrote in the funeral program, The Associated Press reported Saturday. And I thank God for the beautiful flower he allowed me to raise and cherish for 48 years.

But how did Whitney Houston die? A cause of death has yet to be revealed as the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office continues to investigate the singer's passing. A toxicology report may not be available for up to seven more weeks.

However, news about Whitney Houston's health just weeks before her death was revealed on Friday. The 48-year-old singer visited a plastic surgeon two weeks before her death, hoping to get a facelift. Yet, according to RadarOnline, she failed the routine medical exam required for the procedure.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Marc Mani would not perform the facelift after Houston failed the checkup for heart, lungs and liver, a source told the gossip Web site. Dr. Mani said that he would not overindulge celebrities by allowing elective surguries even though they did not pass the required tests.

As a plastic surgeon who treats a lot of celebrities you have to be very strict about medical clearance, Dr. Mani told RadarOnline.

Medical clearance includes a very thorough battery of tests including heart tests, lung tests, liver tests and other laboratory tests.

These situations make you aware of the need for a wake-up call to many physicians who are over-prescribing medications to celebrities to keep them on board. That shouldn't be the standard, he added.

In the years past, I have cancelled surgeries based on medical clearance both for celebrities and other patients. I feel very strongly about celebrities' being overindulged by physicians, I treat a lot of them and care for them. Though Dr. Mani revealed this bit of information to RadarOnline, he did not disclose specific details on Houston's case due to medical confidentiality legalities.

Though an official toxicology report determining once and for all how Whitney Houston's died has yet to be released, preliminary results showed that sedatives were found in her system, according to Fox News. Prescription pills for anxiety, like Xanax, Lorazepam, Valium, were also reportedly found by detectives at her suite in the Beverly Hilton, where she died Feb. 11.