Autopsy

An autopsy—also called a postmortem examination—is a specialized surgical procedure that determines the cause and manner of death. The cause of death is the medical reason a patient passed. The manner of death refers to the circumstances. Connecticut recognizes the following manners of death: natural, accident, homicide, suicide, therapeutic complication, and undetermined. Cases involving non-natural manners of death are referred to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) but may still be examined at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Families request autopsies for many reasons, not only when the cause of death is uncertain. Common purposes include:

Diagnostic: An autopsy gives clinicians the most complete picture of why a patient passed; identifying an unknown primary cancer, for example, or conducting examinations that weren’t possible while the patient was alive.

Reassurance: For some families, confirmation of a diagnosis or a fuller understanding of what happened can bring a measure of peace.

Quality assurance: The Joint Commission requires that autopsy findings be incorporated into hospital quality assurance programs. Results are recorded to document cases where the autopsy clarified or added to the clinical understanding.

Education: Autopsies provide learning opportunities for clinicians, residents, medical students, and other trainees. Tissue may be used by Yale School of Medicine in accordance with HIPAA privacy laws.

Research: Yale New Haven Hospital supports a range of ongoing research projects. Yale Pathology Tissue Services and Yale Biorepository oversee all protocols and tissue acquisition. If a clinician’s contact information is included on the consent, autopsy staff can coordinate with the clinical team for proper tissue recovery and preservation.

Technical only: In some cases, an autopsy is performed solely to remove a specific item, such as hardware being returned to a manufacturer for testing, or tissue being sent to another facility. This is considered a technical-only autopsy and excludes diagnostic, educational, quality improvement, and research purposes.

Funeral arrangements are not affected. A complete autopsy does not disfigure the body, and open-casket viewing remains possible. Autopsies are performed seven days a week, 365 days a year, so there is generally no need to delay funeral arrangements. Our staff will coordinate with the funeral director of your choice.

You may place limitations on the autopsy. As part of the consent process, families can restrict certain aspects of the examination — for example, excluding the brain. Please be aware that limitations may affect the diagnostic value of the autopsy or its usefulness for education, quality improvement, or research.

Organ donation does not prevent an autopsy. Donated organs cannot be evaluated, but much can still be learned from the organs that remain.

Autopsies advance medical understanding. What we learn benefits not only the family but also future patients with similar conditions, helping clinicians better understand disease processes, improve diagnoses, and refine treatments.

Autopsies have been performed for individuals of all religious backgrounds. Many major religions leave this decision to the next of kin. Families who wish to consult with a priest, minister, rabbi, or other religious leader before proceeding are encouraged to do so.

Autopsies are provided free of charge for patients who died at Yale New Haven Hospital or were admitted to or seen in our emergency department within the past two years, regardless of where they ultimately passed away. For patients not eligible for a free autopsy, private autopsy services are available for a fee.

We also offer consultation services for other hospitals and community members, including complete autopsies, examination of individual organs, and slide review from autopsies performed at other institutions. Fees may apply depending on the case.

For questions about releasing a patient to a funeral home, requesting an autopsy, or obtaining a copy of an autopsy report, contact the Autopsy Service directly. Please note that our team is bound by HIPAA and HITECH regulations and cannot share medical history or answer questions about patient status; some questions may be directed to a funeral director or another hospital department.