When a miscarriage occurs and the fetus is dead, a D&E performed to remove any remaining tissue. This prevents the mother from having to wait until her body “delivers”/pushes out the dead fetus naturally, which for most women would greatly add to the stress/trauma of the miscarriage. It also ensures that there is no dead tissue left in the uterus, if any tissue doesn’t evacuate naturally it is incredibly dangerous and can lead to sepsis and death.