Heart Removal After Cyprus Hospitalization Sparks Outcry
During a family holiday on Cyprus, a 76-year-old British man named Michael Grealey collapsed and died ten minutes after arriving at Paralimni Hospital. The death has prompted questions about what happened during and after the admission. The body was autopsied, and authorities say the heart was removed and sent to a research center, while some vital organs were sent to laboratories for toxicology and histology. His 73-year-old widow, Yvonne from Greater Manchester, was told about the autopsy, but when the body arrived back in the United Kingdom, the death certificate did not specify a cause of death. The investigation continues. "We were told that Michael's heart had been removed, so the cause of death cannot be determined. I was in shock. This is awful!"
Autopsy Practices and Why the Heart Is Removed
During the autopsy, some vital organs were sent to the laboratory for toxicological and histological analysis, according to Cyprus Mail. The heart is often removed during autopsy to assess signs of cardiovascular disease. This allows the pathologist to study its external and internal components: chambers, valves and the major blood vessels. Cardiomegaly (an enlarged heart) or hypertrophy can indicate underlying diseases, such as high blood pressure or other conditions that could have contributed to death. Source: Cyprus Mail
2024 Case in Turkey Reflects Worries Over Missing Organs and Death Certificates
Back in 2024, a similar incident occurred with 38-year-old Kaedell Brown. The British woman travelled to Turkey for an abdominal cosmetic procedure, including an abdominoplasty, liposuction and a buttock lift. She died in a clinic, and when she was autopsied in the United Kingdom, it was found that significant portions of brain, lungs and heart were missing. "They returned the body, but parts of her heart and internal organs remained with them. This could have helped determine the cause of death, but we won't know, because they do not want to cooperate," said her sister Leanne. "They sent a death certificate where the cause is not listed. How could they find nothing?" Investigations into that case are ongoing. Source: dailystar.co.uk
