Autopsy

An autopsy is a surgical procedure performed on a corpse after death (a period called “post-mortem”). It is usually performed in an attempt to understand the cause of death of the person. The autopsy will be performed by a trained physician who has specialised in pathologyThe cause of death requires extensive knowledge of diseases and injuries to determine the cause of death.

A brief history of autopsies will tell us that humans have apparently been performing autopsies since the dawn of time. There is historical data to support that autopsies were performed in ancient Egyptian times. Ancient Egypt was notoriously known for performing elaborate death rituals and valuing the afterlife; so it makes sense that an autopsy would be part of that ritual. However, one distinction between those early times and now is that while ancient Egyptian examiners removed organs for preservation; today’s autopsies are performed with the intention of explaining illness and death.

Autopsy method

An autopsy, at its core, is a surgical dissection. There are different correct ways of performing it, but the Letulle method is has become the main protocol for the training of pathologists. This particular method finds the pathologist or medical student starting the dissection in the abdomen. After perforating the abdominal area, the abdominal organs will be removed in a block according to this method, understandably called the “en bloc” method. The direction that the Letulle method will take is called the retroperitoneal approach. Basically, this means that the organs will be removed starting with the organs directly behind the peritoneum and moving backwards. The peritoneum, in turn, is a serous lining located at the abdominal cavity.. It appears as a light-coloured sheet that will cover and protect our abdominal organs.

The retroperitoneal organs will include the adrenal glands, the pancreas, the lower segments of the duodenum of the small intestine and the ascending and descending parts of the colon. The examiner will remove organs layer by layer, all the while using the vasculature (or veins and arteries) as reference points for orientation. This method is considered the best for the pathologist-in-training, as it follows the anatomical relationships learned in class. However, there are also quicker ways to perform an autopsy.

The Virchow technique will have the organs removed one by one, starting at the skull and moving down to the thoracic, abdominal and cervical organs. In other words, it can follow a top-down approach, so to speak.

The Rokitansky technique is an in situ (or local) dissection starting at the neck and moving downwards; and the organ is also removed as a block. The first cut perforates the larynx in order to separate the oesophagus and the pharynxthen the larynx and trachea, followed by the organs of the thorax, which are cut to expose those of the abdomen.

Finally, the Ghon technique is similar to Rokitansky’s in that the thoracic, cervical and abdominal organs are removed using the en bloc method, but Ghon will not use an in situ dissection rather than opting for “en bloc” removal.

Types of autopsy

An autopsy is performed for three main reasons, which we will discuss shortly. A clinical autopsy will be performed on a patient who has died while under the care of a hospital or clinical staff and in cases where physicians have been unable to identify the cause of sudden death. This type of autopsy will be useful in order to know the time and cause of death; as well as to give doctors a cause of death so that they can present a death certificate appropriately.

A forensic autopsy, on the other hand, will be a type of autopsy that is performed when a body has been recovered from the scene of a crime or murder. This autopsy will reveal any traces of bullets, blows or wounds and poison in the system. A medical examiner must be present and will decide whether the cause of death was an accident, murder or suicide. This autopsy will guide the police through their investigation.

Finally, an academic autopsy is one that is performed by medical students to teach them about anatomy human anatomy. In addition, some may also be used for research purposes. The source of the bodies will be patients who have voluntarily donated their bodies to science; or unclaimed bodies after submission of the necessary legal documentation.

Importance of autopsies

While any family, or next of kin, can request an autopsy of their deceased loved one, autopsies are undoubtedly the standard of care for the deceased. gold when the cause of death is uncertain. It can happen if a person was found dead due to a possibly accidental circumstance or if a person was murdered. This clearly has a crucial significance in the field of criminal law; but also within the human experience of bereavement and the search for closure. For this reason, the autopsy has been performed for legal and medical reasons for a long time.