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Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), such as pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, are increasingly common in patients with cardiovascular disease. CIEDs contain detailed records of cardiac rhythm and device function that can provide additional information on the final moments before death. Despite this potential, postmortem CIED (PM-CIED) interrogation is rarely performed and the opportunity to extract important information on the circumstances of the death is lost. In this issue of Heart, Morgan et al 1 undertook a national survey of 83 centres across the UK, examining current practices in postmortem interrogation of cardiac devices. Their study demonstrates that although most mortuaries have high rates of CIED presence (5%) in deceased patients, relevant technical capability and necessary equipment, postmortem interrogation is performed infrequently and inconsistently. While their paper lacks granular data on the exact number and rate of PM-CIED interrogations, as well as aetiological findings, it provides valuable insight into the disparate workflow practices in contemporary PM-CIED interrogation across a national framework.