ABORTION: WHAT HAPPENS?
The cervix may be numbed, with local anaesthetic, or the woman may have a general anaesthetic, and be asleep. In many centres she is given a choice. Either way, her cervix is gently dilated to allow a fine tube to be inserted through, into the uterus. The contents of the uterus are then emptied using suction a bit like the sucker a dentist uses in your mouth. The walls of the uterus are then gently scraped with a curette, which is like a little spoon with a hole in it. This ensures that the contents of the uterus are emptied. The whole process only takes a few minutes. The woman is able to go home an hour or two after, and she may experience a period-like bleed for a few days, or up to fourteen days or so. She may be given antibiotics to take for a week, and will be given instructions about what to expect, and what activities she should not do. In particular she should avoid heavy lifting, strenuous activities, using tampons (pads are okay), having baths (she can shower), or having sex for the first two weeks to lessen the risks of heavy bleeding or infection.
Usually a woman is advised to take it easy on the day of the operation, and preferably the next day. For twenty-four hours she should not drive, and should avoid alcohol. Usually women are able to go back to work and normal activities within a day or so of having an abortion.
There are variations in technique. Sometimes the cervix may be softened a little with a chemical to make it easier to dilate.
Abortions performed by suction curettage at greater than twelve weeks from the last menstrual period are not recommended, but may be necessary in some circumstances. The rate of complications increases with later abortions, and it can be a more difficult procedure technically.
A later (over sixteen weeks) abortion may be done by inducing a type of labour, usually with hormone-like chemicals applied to the cervix, and the foetus is expelled from the uterus. This technique is not routinely used for abortion, but may be used in some circumstances. Later terminations of pregnancy may be performed in some cases, such as if an abnormality is found in the foetus, or certain infections are diagnosed in the woman.
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Tags: Women’s Health