Surgical abortion
Shutterstock/Stuart Jenner

What is Surgical abortion?

There are two main types of surgical abortion. The method offered depends on how long you’ve been pregnant.

For both procedures, you get an anaesthetic. This could be a general anaesthetic, so you’re asleep during the operation. You can also just have a local anaesthetic: an injection makes your cervix numb so you don’t feel anything, but you stay awake during the operation. 

After a surgical abortion, you can feel sick and faint and have painful stomach cramps.

  • Vacuum Aspiration (up to 15 weeks of pregnancy):
    With this method, the fetal tissue is sucked out of the uterus through a tube. The procedure takes 3 to 10 minutes and you may have either analgesics (pain killers) or a local anaesthetic. The cervix may be opened or softened using another medicine a few hours before the abortion. You will be able to go home the same day. Bleeding usually last about 2 weeks, with a quite heavy bleeding for the first 2 to 3 days. This method is considered to be very safe.
     
  • Surgical Dilatation and Evacuation (from 12-14 weeks of pregnancy):
    Similar to vacuum aspiration, for surgical dilatation and evacuation (D&E), the cervix is usually softened to open it prior to the procedure. Depending on the stage of pregnancy, this might take anything from 2 hours to 2 days. Forceps and a suction tube are then used to remove the fetal tissue from the uterus. The procedure takes no more than 30 minutes, and you may be able to go home the same day. You may bleed lightly for up to three weeks afterward.
     
  • Dilatation and Curettage (D&C):
    With this method, the cervix is dilated and then the fetal tissues are scraped out of the uterus. Pain is expected and should be managed with analgesics (pain killers). This method of surgical procedures (D&C) should only be performed by a skilled doctor with appropriate supervision. The World Health Organisation recommends the vacuum aspiration method (described above), which is much safer.

Abortion in the second/third trimester

In many places, you can have an abortion until you’re 24 weeks pregnant. After 20 weeks, you’ll have to go to the hospital and stay overnight, whether you have a medical or surgical abortion.

  •  Medically-Induced Abortion (20-24 weeks):
    Typically, a prostaglandin is injected into the uterus, creating contractions similar to labour lasting 6 to 12 hours. This happens while you’re awake, but health care providers can give you analgesics (pain killers) for pain relief.  Some providers do a dilatation and Evacuation (explained above) afterwards to ensure the uterus is empty.
     
  •  Surgical Abortion (20-24 weeks):
    As described above, for surgical dilatation and evacuation (D&E), the cervix is usually softened to open it prior to the procedure. This might take anything from 2 hours to 2 days. Forceps and a suction tube are then used to remove the fetal tissue from the uterus. The procedure takes no more than 30 minutes, and you may be able to go home the same day. You will bleed more heavily for later abortions as to those done in the first trimester.

Did you find this useful?

Comments
Suniye Please. Jaldi se kisi visheshagya ya ache panjikrit doctor se miliye aur dekho kya ho sakta hai. Kisi bharosemand doctor ki rai leejiye aur kisi neem hakeen ya chemist ki baaton mein bilkul mat aa jaaiye – DOCTOR ONLY. https://lovematters.in/hi/resource/unplanned-pregnancy Iske alawa aap FPAI clinic se sampark kar sakte hai jiski jaankari aapko issi website pe mil jayegi. https://www.fpaindia.org Time mat gavaiye, jaldi keejie. Yadi aap is mudde par humse aur gehri charcha mein judna chahte hain toh hamare discussion board “Just Poocho” mein zaroor shamil hon! https://lovematters.in/en/forum
Listen. Please. See a specialist or a good registered physician as soon as possible and see what can be done. If much time has not passed, you can ask for MTP, at any clinic. Consult a trusted doctor and please do not listen to any chemist or try some desi nuskha-DOCTOR only. https://lovematters.in/en/resource/unplanned-pregnancy Also, you can contact FPAI clinic information about which you can get at their website. https://www.fpaindia.org/ If you would like to join in on a further discussion on this topic, join our discussion board, "Just Ask” https://lovematters.in/en/forum
Meri friend ka 1 month ka surgical abortion 10 saal Phele hua tha tab se usne sex ni kiya ab uski Shadi hone wali h uska ex kah raha h uske husband ko bta dega, agar uska husband doctor se janch karwayega tou usko pta lag skta h Kya ki usne 10 saal phele abortion karwaya tha
Jee nahi Ankita bete aisa koi bhee tarika nahi hai jise pata lagaya ja sake, So, don't worry! Aur agar aapki friend ke ex BF aisi dhamki de rahe hain toh ismein kanun ki madad lee ja sakti hai. Ise padhiye aur apni friend ko bhee padha dijiye: https://lovematters.in/hi/resource/faqs-hymen-and-virginity https://lovematters.in/hi/making-love/virginity/female-virginity-top-five-facts Yadi aap is mudde par humse aur gehri charcha mein judna chahte hain to hamare discussion board “Just Poocho” mein zaroor shamil ho! https://lovematters.in/en/forum
Meri pregnancy ko 3mouths complete hone wale h to kya me abortion kra sakti hu ...... or kya inne time ki pregnancy medical abortion se khtm ho sakti h....
Bete please iske baare mein phoran kisi achchhe panjikrit doctor se mill lijiye. Aur samay mat gavaaeeye. https://lovematters.in/en/medical-abortion-how-is-it-done-abortion-by-pills Yadi aap is mudde par humse aur gehri charcha mein judna chahte hain to hamare discussion board “Just Poocho” mein zaroor shamil ho! https://lovematters.in/en/forum
Yes you can, Susan dear!! But at first please consult a registered doctor about it, and follow his/her instructions, OK!! Read here also: https://lovematters.in/en/pregnancy/unsure-about-being-pregnant/surgical-abortion If you would like to join in on a further discussion on this topic, join our discussion board, "Just Ask” https://lovematters.in/en/forum
Add new comment

Comment

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang>