Another postmortem is upon us; that of slain Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen who was missing for about 40 days and whose body was found in an underground storage at his Kitusuru home.
One of the questions that might be swirling in the minds of scores of those following the Cohen murder case is what happens during a postmortem?
Firstly, a postmortem is a surgical procedure carried out to determine the cause of someone's death.
Here is what happens during a postmortem:
It is carried out in a hospital's mortuary.
In a case where there is controversy surrounding the death of the deceased, a forensic pathologist is called upon.
It can take up to three days or more depending on the complexities involved.
The body is respectfully carried from where it had been preserved on the day of the procedure and taken to a postmortem examination room.
Important cuts on the body at strategic points are made according to an article on the Royal College of Pathologists' website.
A deep cut is made so as to expose the internal organs while the body is facing upwards.
Another cut is made on the head so as to expose the brain.
After the deep cuts and exposure of the organs, pathologists carefully observe the organs with their naked eyes keen to see if there are abnormalities visible such as blood clots.
It is possible to come to a conclusion on how a person's death just by observing the exposed organs but this is not always the case.
More time might be required for a more detailed diagnosis.
When a diagnosis has been made in a conclusive manner the organs are returned to the body.
Papers that the postmortem has been done are issued and the body can be buried.