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How to Remove the Heart from a Cadaver

Carlos A. Suárez-Quian, Ph.D.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology

Georgetown University Medical Center

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DONATING YOUR BODY TO SCIENCE

All cadavers used at Georgetown are donated
It is illegal to purchase bodies
Bodies cannot be embalmed, badly damaged by accidents, used for organ donation, donor known to be carrier of infectious disease
Church law does not impede body donation
Bodies are cremated and interred at Mount Olivet cemetery
Memorial services conducted after burial

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Dissection of Cadavers by Students

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Thorax

Catheter site insertion

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Mark sites of incision

Catheter site insertion

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Use a scalpel to start making incisions to peel skin

Catheter site insertion

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Partially peeled skin

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Skin of thorax removed

Skin of arm reflected

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Use scissor technique to expose cephalic vein

Axilla

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Use a scalpel to start peeling back the superficial fascia

Muscle covered with deep fascia exposed

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Sternal head pectoralis major

Deltoid muscle

Clavicular head pectoralis major

Cephalic vein in deltopectoral triangle

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Sternal head pectoralis major

Intercostobrachial nerve. (Nerve responsible for referred pain from angina.)

Clavicular head pectoralis major

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Medicine port

Insert fingers deep to pectoralis major to start reflecting muscle.

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Use scalpel to begin reflecting sternal head pectoralis major

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Pectoralis minor muscle

Use scissor technique to look for nerves to pectoralis major and minor

Pectoralis major muscle reflected

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Pectoralis minor muscle

Pectoralis major muscle reflected

Nerves and vessels of the pectoral region

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Pectoralis minor muscle (reflected)

Pectoralis major muscle reflected

Rib

Intercostal muscles

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Pectoralis minor muscle (reflected)

Axillary artery and vein in axilla

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Sternum

Internal thoracic artery

Rib

Intercostal space

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Cut neck muscles away from clavicle

Lung covered by pleura

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Clavicle

Bone saw cutting through clavicle

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2^nd costal cartilage – reference point used to count ribs and spaces

Bone shears cutting through ribs

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Bone shears cutting through Xiphoid process

Xiphoid

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Bare area of pericardium (not covered by pleura)

Anterior rib cage reflected superiorly

Lung in pleural sac

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Bare area of pericardium (not covered by pleura)

Right lung in pleural sac

Left Lung in pleural sac

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Right lung in pleural sac

Heart in pericardium

Left Lung in pleural sac being reflected

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Heart in pericardium

Left Lung in pleural sac being reflected

Phrenic nerve to diaphragm

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Heart in pericardium

Left lung within pleural cavity

Parietal pleura being cut open to reach the lung

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Heart in pericardium

Left lung within pleural cavity

Root of lung

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Heart in pericardium

Left lung within pleural cavity

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Right lung in pleural cavity

Left lung cut out of pleural cavity

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Heart in pericardium

Cavity where left lung resided

Cavity where right lung resided

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Fat on heart

Pericardium reflected

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Right ventricle

Ascending aorta

Right atrium

Superior vena cava

Finger in transverse sinus

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Hand in oblique sinus

Right ventricle

Ascending aorta

Right atrium

Superior vena cava

Left ventricle

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Right ventricle

Ascending aorta

Right atrium

Superior vena cava

Left ventricle

Pulmonary trunk: only artery that carries venous blood

Probe in transverse sinus

Clotted blood in aorta

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Right atrium

Superior vena cava

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Right atrium

Superior vena cava

Inferior vena cava

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Inferior vena cava

Right Pulmonary veins

Left Pulmonary veins

Apex of heart

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Removed heart

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Dissection of the Un-enbalmed Heart

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Use a scalpel to start making incisions. This time make incision in midline.

Jugular notch

Xiphoid process

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Spread incision to expose sternum.

Jugular notch

Xiphoid process

Sternum

Superficial fascia

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Jugular notch

Xiphoid process

Sternum

Use finger to free up back of sternum

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Jugular notch

Xiphoid process

Sternum

Use bone saw to cut sternum

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Use a Cooley Sternal Retractor to spread the sternum

Torn parietal pleura

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Jugular notch

Lung

Left lung in pleural cavity

Bare area of pericardium

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covered with visceral pleura

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Left brachiocephalic vein

Lung, upper lobe

Lung, middle lobe

Lung,

inferior lobe

Oblique fissure

Ascending aorta

Superior vena cava

Trachea

Lung, upper lobe

Lung,

inferior lobe

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Left brachiocephalic vein

Ascending aorta

Superior vena cava

Heart in pericardium

Trachea

Right brachiocephalic vein

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Left phrenic nerve

Ascending aorta

Heart in pericardium

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Left brachiocephalic vein

Ascending aorta

Superior vena cava

Trachea

Right brachiocephalic vein

Brachiocephalic artery

Left common carotid artery

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Left brachiocephalic vein

Ascending aorta

Trachea

Brachiocephalic artery

Right vagus nerve

Left common carotid artery

Left subclavian artery

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Aortic arch

Ascending aorta

Left common carotid artery

Left subclavian artery

Left vagus nerve

Right vagus nerve

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Aortic arch

Ascending aorta

Right vagus nerve

Left ventricle

Right ventricle

Right atrium

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Ascending aorta

Left ventricle

Right ventricle

Right atrium

Right auricle

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Ascending aorta

Pulmonary veins entering left atrium

Left ventricle (reflected to right)

Left auricle

Left atrium

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Left vagus

Ligamentum arteriosum (If this does not close at birth, it leads to blue babies.)

Ascending aorta

Pulmonary trunk

Hilum of left lung

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Left main bronchus of lung

Left ventricle (reflected to right)

Left lung