People are horrified after finding out one body part is always removed during an autopsy

A mortician has left social media users tongue-tied after revealing the one body part that might be removed during an autopsy.

Gerald Ledford, who has worked in the funeral industry for nearly two decades, regularly shares behind-the-scenes insights from forensic procedures with his millions of followers online.

His videos often answer uncomfortable or unusual questions about the funeral industry, forensic investigations, and post-mortem procedures.

MedicineNet explains that autopsies are “performed primarily to determine the cause of death, to identify or characterize the extent of disease states that the person may have had, or to determine whether a particular medical or surgical treatment has been effective.”

For people unfamiliar with forensic medicine, details like tongue removal can sound disturbing at first. But for pathologists and autopsy technicians, the procedure is simply part of making sure no critical evidence is missed.

That reality became a viral talking point after one follower asked Ledford a surprisingly common question about autopsies and body piercings.

“What about piercings,” the TikToker asked, insisting their piercings stay intact after death.

“You worried I’m going to take your piercings out, you don’t get to take them with you?” Ledford started, shaking his head. “The only one that I take out is your tongue ring. I remove your tongue during an autopsy, we need to make sure you didn’t bite down on it, make sure you don’t have drugs in the back of your throat. But nipples, nose, ears, eyebrows, private parts…”

The comment immediately sparked confusion and horror across social media, with many viewers stunned to hear the tongue can be removed during forensic examinations.