Types Of Abortion Procedures
Dr. Herbert Hodes and Dr. Traci Nauser perform two similar surgical abortion procedures in our office.
D&C Procedure (First Trimester)
A D&C procedure, also known as a vacuum aspiration procedure, is the abortion procedure typically performed during the first trimester. A woman is considered to be in the first trimester of pregnancy if fewer than 14 weeks have passed since her last menstrual period.
A D&C, which stands for dilation and curettage, is an extremely safe procedure and the most common one performed in our office. During a D&C procedure, your doctor will numb your cervix with a local anesthetic. The doctor will then gradually dilate the cervix by inserting narrow, tapered rods. A small tube called a cannula is inserted into the uterus and connected to a suction device. The contents of the uterus are suctioned through the tube. The doctor will then check the wall of the uterus to make sure no tissue remains. The abortion procedure itself takes only about a minute. Some women have discomfort similar to menstrual cramps during the procedure, and sometimes for an hour or so afterward.
D&E Procedure (Second Trimester)
The other type of abortion procedure performed in our office is a D&E procedure, or a dilation and evacuation. Less than 5 percent of abortions in the United States are performed between 15 and 21.6 weeks of pregnancy, and most of these are performed using a D&E procedure.
The D&E procedure is an extension of the D&C procedure described above; however, the cervix must be dilated wider so that the doctor can use forceps as well as suction to remove the contents of the uterus. Your doctor will insert a medical product known as a laminaria stick into your cervix. Laminaria sticks are rods made of sterile seaweed. Over the course of several hours, the rods absorb moisture and expand, dilating the cervix.
The actual D&E procedure takes approximately 3 to 5 minutes. You may be given intravenous medication in addition to local anesthetic to make you more comfortable during the procedure.
The Abortion Pill (Medical Abortion)
Some doctors’ offices and abortion clinics also offer a type of abortion known as medical abortion, or the abortion pill. The abortion pill, also called RU-486 or mifepristone, is a type of medicine that ends an early pregnancy.
In our office, we have chosen not to offer the abortion pill for several reasons. When using the abortion pill, it is difficult to predict when or where the expulsion of the pregnancy will occur, how much bleeding will occur, and how painful the expulsion will be. Expulsion may also be incomplete; approximately 10 percent of patients still require a D&C procedure after using the abortion pill.
Abortions performed with the abortion pill require at least two visits, and the death rate associated with the abortion pill is 10 times higher than the risk of death from surgical abortion (10 per 100,000 compared to 1 per 100,000).
We believe that focusing on surgical abortions allows us to provide our patients with the highest quality of care and keep our patients as comfortable as possible during their procedures.