(11) Restoration Timeline

When is most restorative treatment done?

Post embalming. Restorative treatments that are done in the two prior periods can make for more orderly work and satisfactory results

What are the pre embalming processes?

-Clean the surface of the body
-Set the features
-Re-align
-Treat skin issues

Restorative analysis is best completed through:

a thorough cleaning of the body to expose any potential restorative issues

What are the surface treatments of the body?

-Clean orifices
-Remove surface stains
-Carefully remove debris
-Remove any medical devices that may leave marks or indentations
-Remove scabs or fever blisters

What are the feature setting processes?

-Shave
-Fill emaciated facial areas with cotton or putty
-Make sure eyes and lips are aligned properly and closed

What are the re-aligning procedures?

-Lacerated and cut tissue edges (tack sutures or glue)
-Simple and compound fractures, if possible
-Dislocated or twisted limbs

What skin issues must be treated pre embalming?

-Remove torn skin from desquamation
-Drain blisters, pustules and similar skin eruptions, remove loose skin
-Apply surface compresses to skin discolorations as necessary
-Excise tumors (with permission) if they are causing features to be misaligned
-Apply phenol or other cauterant to exposed skin areas to begin the drying process

What should be done during emblaming?

-Establish good preservation
-Few restorative things are completed during embalming, but firm, dry, well preserved tissues are the key to successful restoration
-Choose fluids for your solution that are case appropriate
-Ensure distribution
-Control swelling
-Massage as needed

What steps should be taken at the completion of embalming?

-Suturing
-Positioning
-Massage cream
-Cauterants
-Let the body rest (give time to let tissues firm, chemicals to work and moist areas of tissue to dry)

How should massage cream be used?

Apply to face and hands to avoid dehydration
-Floating a piece of plastic onto the face can help preserve hydration

How should cauterants be handled?

-Ensure phenol packs are clearing discolorations
-Ensure phenol applied to open skin areas are sufficient to dry the area

What restorations happen post embalming?

-Tissue building
-Tissue reduction or excision
-Sealing of eyes and lips
-Sealing of sutured areas, as appropriate
-Reconstruction of features
-Application of wax
-Cosmetic application to discolorations
-General cosmetic application