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SURGICAL ABORTION
Surgical abortion is a very simple and safe procedure.
We specialize in: early surgical abortions, surgical abortion to 18 weeks and
medical abortion.
- Surgical abortions to 14 weeks can be completed in one day. The actual procedure takes about 5 - 10 minutes.
- Surgical abortions from 14-18 weeks are usually scheduled as two appointments on two consecutive days.
Who can have a surgical abortion at AMS?
- Women who are less than 18 weeks pregnant.
- Women who are in good health or who have chronic illnesses that are under control.
What is a surgical abortion appointment like?
The following occurs at a surgical abortion appointment:
- History, physical exam, blood tests
- Information about the process and informed consent.
- A pre-op medication is given (similar to Motrin®). This medicine works directly on
the uterus to help with cramping and bleeding.
- The physician performs a pelvic exam to determine the size and position of the
uterus by placing one hand on the abdomen and two fingers in the vagina.
- An ultrasound exam is done to confirm the size of the pregnancy.
- Some women choose to use IV medication as additional pain management.
A morphine-like drug can be given which offers good pain management but does not put women to sleep. You must have a driver to take you home if you choose to use this drug.
- The physician places a speculum into the vagina so that the cervix comes into view.
- After cleaning the cervix with iodine solution and a gauze pad, the physician
administers local anesthetic to reduce discomfort.
- After the anesthetic is placed, the physician gently enlarges the cervical opening. This is done by inserting and removing small sterile plastic dilators into the opening of the cervix. Some women experience 15-60 seconds of mild to moderate cramping during this process.
- Finally, a small plastic tube (called a cannula) connected to a vacuum device, is inserted into the cervical opening and the contents of the uterus are carefully removed. Often, the vacuum device is hand-held and looks much like a large syringe. There is no machine noise with this hand-held device.
- After the procedure, you will rest for 15-20 minutes before going home.
Surgical Abortion 14-18 Weeks:
This procedure usually requires two appointments, scheduled on two consecutive days.
The following occurs on Day 1:
- History, physical exam, blood tests.
- Information about the process and informed consent.
- A pre-op medication is given (similar to Motrin®). This medicine works directly
on the uterus to help with cramping and bleeding.
- The physician performs a pelvic exam to determine the size and position of the
uterus by placing one hand on the abdomen and two fingers in the vagina.
- An ultrasound exam is done to confirm the size of the pregnancy.
- Some women choose to use IV medication as additional pain management. A morphine-like drug can be given which offers good pain management but does not put women to sleep. You must have a driver to take you home if you choose to use this drug.
- The physician places a speculum into the vagina so that the cervix comes into view.
- After cleaning the cervix with iodine solution and a gauze pad, the physician administers local anesthetic to reduce discomfort.
- The next step is to gently enlarge the cervical opening. The physician places small rod-shaped, sterile dilators into the opening of the cervix. These dilators are called laminaria and are made from seaweed. They absorb moisture from the cervix overnight, gradually enlarging, and gently dilating the cervix.
On Day 2, the following occurs:
- An IV is placed.
- Pain meds are given through the IV.
- The laminaria are removed.
- A speculum is placed into the vagina.
- The cervix is cleansed again with iodine solution.
- Local anesthetic is placed in the cervix to reduce discomfort.
- The physician checks the cervical dilation.
- A plastic tube (called a cannula) which is connected to a vacuum machine
is placed inside the uterus, and the contents of the uterus are gently removed.
- After the procedure, you will rest for 45-60 minutes before going home.
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