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Why was the heart usually left inside an Egyptian mummy?

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surgeon; American Civil War — embalming An embalming surgeon at work on a soldier's body during the American Civil War.

In ancient Egyptian belief, the heart was considered the source of life and being, as well as the seat of thought, intelligence, memory, and emotion. Because of its central importance, it was always left inside the body or replaced in the thorax during the embalming process.1

The Egyptians believed that any damage to the heart would result in a "second death," leading to the total destruction of the deceased's spiritual components, including the ka, ba, khu, and ren. Furthermore, the heart—referred to as the ib—was essential for the afterlife's judgment. In the famous weighing of the heart ceremony, the heart was weighed against the feather of Ma'at to determine if the individual had lived a life of truth and righteousness. Only those whose hearts achieved balance were granted entry into the afterlife, while those who failed were consumed by the monster Am-mit.1