At the time of death, all tissue rapidly begins to degrade. In order to ensure the greatest research and diagnostic value for the brain tissue, it is essential that it is removed as quickly after death as possible.
At autopsy, the brain is removed in the usual fashion and put on ice as soon as possible, after which it is transported to the laboratory and dissected immediately using a customized dissection. The cerebellar hemispheres are removed and sliced and frozen.
To remove the brain, an incision is made in the back of the skull from one ear to the other. The scalp is cut and separated from the underlying skull and pulled forward. The top of the skull is removed using a vibrating saw. The entire brain is then gently lifted out of the cranial vault.
Organ removal—Using special techniques, the organs are cut and removed from the body. All organs (heart, lungs, liver, intestines, stomach, pancreas, kidneys, spleen, and pelvic organs) and the major arteries are examined individually. They are weighed, washed, and dissected as necessary.
A complete autopsy requires the removal of the skull using a skull saw, and subsequent removal of the brain.
Background: A full autopsy at our institution includes removal of the eyes for pathologic examination.
Most autopsies of the head begin with the pathologist shaving the head to look for bruises (contusions) on the outside surface of the scalp (left). If the autopsy has been done properly, the head should be shaved for careful inspection.
The first cut known as the 'Y' incision, is made.
The arms of the Y extend from the front of each shoulder to the bottom end of the breastbone.
Do they remove organs when you are embalmed? One of the most common questions people have about embalming is whether or not organs are removed. The answer is no; all of the organs remain in the body during the embalming process.
But for one 29-year-old man in Spain, that fear became a reality when, having previously been pronounced dead, he somehow woke up on the autopsy table just as experts were about to open up his body to investigate.
During death, your body's vital functions stop entirely. Your heart no longer beats, your breath stops and your brain stops functioning. Studies suggest that brain activity may continue several minutes after a person has been declared dead. Still, brain activity isn't the same as consciousness or awareness.
“I remove your tongue during an autopsy – we need to make sure you didn't bite down on it, make sure you don't have drugs in the back of your throat. “So if you have a tongue ring, that one comes out, but nipples, nose, ears, eyebrow, private parts...”
Because after eight hours, many natural changes start taking place in the dead body, due to which there is a high possibility of the investigation being tied. Also, there can be many changes in the post-mortem report as well. In such a situation, it is advised that the postmortem should be done as soon as possible.
The autopsy process
To release the body to the family as soon as possible, the autopsy is usually performed the day following the death and almost always within three working days.
The body does not feel pain during cremation because the person is no longer alive. When a person dies, their brain stops sending signals to the body. This means that the person cannot feel pain or any other sensation. In fact, a dead person feels nothing at all.
One of the wildest innovations is “living funerals.” You can attend a dry run of your own funeral, complete with casket, mourners, funeral procession, etc. You can witness the lavish proceedings without having an “out-of-body” experience, just an “out-of-disposable-income” experience.
Instead of preparing the body with chemicals, morticians will store it in a fridge that keeps the body at two degrees Celsius. However, like embalming, it's important to remember that this merely slows the decomposition process – it doesn't stop it. A refrigerated body will last three to four weeks.
All of the procedures during an autopsy are conducted with great care in order to preserve the appearance of the deceased person, and to minimize alterations of the body.
Autopsies are not performed on everyone. For people who pass away in the hospital, the family (or next of kin) is asked if they would like an autopsy. If the patient has advance directives or a living will that specifically describes their wishes -- this will be respected.
About two hours after death, the cornea becomes hazy or cloudy, turning progressively more opaque over the next day or two. This obstructs the view of the lens and back of the eye.
Gasping is also referred to as agonal respiration and the name is appropriate because the gasping respirations appear uncomfortable, causing concern that the patient is dyspnoeic and in agony.
In time, the heart stops and they stop breathing. Within a few minutes, their brain stops functioning entirely and their skin starts to cool. At this point, they have died.
The immediate aftermath of dying can be surprisingly lively. For the first few minutes of the postmortem period, brain cells may survive. The heart can keep beating without its blood supply. A healthy liver continues breaking down alcohol.