Organ dissection — cardiovascular system

Abstract

The routine removal of the heart and the examination of the major arteries and veins has already been described in the evisceration and block dissection chapters. This chapter starts by detailing the routine dissection of the heart, including the coronary arteries, and includes both techniques that are in common usage. It then details the special techniques that need to be employed during the dissection of the heart in a variety of special circumstances that may be encountered. This is followed by a description of other special techniques that may be necessary in the examination of the cardiovascular system. Although it is obviously impossible to include every possible situation, this chapter does deal with the vast majority of situations that are likely to be encountered by a non-specialised pathologist.