“Does a pathologist perform autopsies?”

Yes, the pathologist performs autopsies. Autopsies are a process in which the pathology opens the body and take out all organs from the body. The organs are separated, weighted, and sliced them to see any abnormality within the organs to find the cause of death. Then, we take samples of the tissue of every organ and put those pieces in a cassette to be process for staining and to be ready to look in the microscope. All organs, after they have been inspected by the pathologist and taken the necessary pieces to process, they are returned to the body in a bag. Then, the funeral homes pick up the body to be prepared for the funeral. It is important to know the cause of death for some families, however, most deaths, are cardiopulmonary arrest. Also, most people who dies, autopsy is not necessary. Most of the times autopsies are performed when you think is foul play on the cause of death or when there is a suicide, homicide, and the person did not have a medical history that the cause of death, which in this case is cardiopulmonary arrest, or an occult lesion that caused the death of the individual. Ok, in my new book that is coming soon (Do you know who we are), I clearly specify that we don’t die. Death is a process of life. Our spirit or energy don’t die. We are energy entangled with the universe. Let me explain: the purpose of all of us is to experience life and when your time have come life on earth is gone and become gas and energy again. We are all created by an atom so every component of our cell, which is created by an atom, are the component of the universe. If I take your blood, what I am going to find? Sodium, Potassium, iron, and all the elements we find in the universe. Therefore, we are energy that materialized in a body for experience and will go back to the universe. When we die the body decomposed becoming liquid and after this liquid become gas and energy. The definition of matter is neither created nor destroy, only transformed. The definition of energy is neither created or destroy just transformed. Thank you.

Yes, pathology performs autopsies, and there are forensic pathologists who perform autopsies at the medical examiner's office when the death is suspicious or not from natural causes.

Yes, pathologists do perform autopsies. Forensic pathology specializes in autopsies.

Yes, pathologists do autopsies. If it is a requested one, the next of kin or the one with power of attorney is the ONLY one who can request the autopsy, so your mother would not be able to make this request to the pathologist herself. If the circumstances of death are suspicious, these autopsies are usually performed by forensic pathologists. They are specialists in this field. Also, law enforcement/coroners can request these without getting permission from the family.
Good luck.

RB Thomas, MD

Yes, the forensic pathologist performs autopsies. They determine the cause and manner of death. As a rule of thumb the autopsies are performed when the death is an accident, unexpected or suspicious for murder or suicide. natural causes, such as heart disease, cancer, are reasons to performed an autopsy. It will help family to understand perhaps genetic inherited diseases, the cause of death and very important will give closure to the family. I am sorry for your loss. Hope this helps to make a decision.

Yes.