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It is important for you to know as much as possible about the procedure that will be used if you decide to have an abortion. You should know this about any medical procedure performed on your body. The right choice will be an informed choice. If you're thinking about getting an abortion you probably have a lot of questions. PCC can answer those questions. Stop by and see us and we can talk. |
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| Procedure | Week of Pregnancy
| How is it Performed?
| Manual Vacuum Aspiration | 7 weeks | The cervical muscle is stretched with metal rods until the opening is wide enough to allow the instruments to pass into the uterus. A hand-held syringe is attached to tubing that is inserted into the uterus and the fetus is suctioned out. | Suction Curettage
| 6-14 weeks
| The doctor opens the cervix with a metal rod or thin sticks. A tube is inserted into the uterus and connects the tubing to a suction machine. The suction pulls the fetus apart and out of the uterus. One variation of this procedure involves a Curette (or looped-shaped knife) which is used to scrape the fetal parts out of the uterus.
| Dilation and Evacuation (D&E)
| 13-24 weeks
| The fetus is now too large to pass through suction tubing. Therefore, the cervix must be opened wider then in the first trimester abortion. This is done by inserting laminaria a day or two before the abortion. After opening the cervix, the doctor pulls out the fetal parts with forceps. The fetus' skull is crushed to ease removal.
| Partial Birth
| From 20 weeks-full term
| This is a 3 day procedure. The first 2 days the cervix is dilated and medication is given for cramping. On the 3rd day you receive medication to start labor, after which the doctor uses a ultrasound to find the fetus' legs. Grasping a leg with forceps, the doctor delivers the baby up to the baby's head. Scissors are then inserted into the base of the skull to create an opening. A suction catheter is used to remove the skull contents. The skull collapses and the baby is removed completely. |
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