An autopsy is a medical exam of a body after death. It is done to find out how and why a person died. A doctor (pathologist) who specializes in examining body tissues and fluid usually performs an autopsy. What exactly is done during an autopsy depends on the circumstances of the death and what specific issues are being looked at.

The law may require autopsies in certain cases, such as:

• Sudden or unexpected death, such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• Death caused by an injury, including suicide, murder, an accident, drug overdose, or poisoning.
• Deaths that are suspicious.

An autopsy begins with a careful exam of the outside of the body. This may include taking pictures of the body, weighing the body, and noting any marks on the body. Then the doctor examines the inside of the body. He or she may remove organs and take tissue samples. The doctor may look at these samples under a microscope and do tests to look for disease, infection, or drugs in the body.

You may want to have an autopsy done on your loved one if:

• He or she died from a medical problem that had not been diagnosed before death.
• You have questions about an unexpected death.
• Your loved one died from an inherited disease or problem, and you or other family members may be at risk for getting it.
• He or she died during a medical or dental procedure.
• The cause of death may affect legal matters.
• Your loved one died during an experimental treatment, and an autopsy will help doctors learn more about that treatment.
• He or she died from a disease or illness, and an autopsy will help doctors better understand the disease and how well the treatment worked.
• An autopsy will help confirm or rule out a diagnosis made before death.

Only you know your thoughts and feelings about an autopsy. Here are some things to consider:

• An autopsy is not an accepted procedure for some cultures, ethnic groups, and religions. Unless it is required by law, an autopsy will not be done unless the family allows it.
• How important is it to you and your family to have the information from an autopsy? Will knowing the exact cause of your loved one's death help you, or will the process cause you more grief?
• An autopsy may affect legal matters. If you are unsure about this, you may want to get legal advice before you agree to an autopsy.
• You or your family may or may not have to pay for an autopsy. Check with the hospital, nursing home, or doctor to see if there will be a charge.
• If you request an autopsy, you can ask that the exam be limited to certain parts of the body. But first you may want to talk to the doctor who will do the exam. You can make sure that your request will not keep the doctor from getting the information he or she needs to answer your questions about your loved one's death.
• There are no risks to having an autopsy. But it may reveal some things, such as habits and diseases, that you didn't know about the person who died. For example, the doctor may find cancer during an autopsy. Or an exam of the liver may show cirrhosis, which can be caused by drinking too much alcohol.
• In most cases, the cuts made during an autopsy will not show after the body has been prepared for viewing. An autopsy will not prevent you from having an open casket at your loved one's funeral.