Clínica Dator

Surgical method:
The most frequently used technique is the vacuum aspiration. A gynaecological check up is always recommended after 15 days of the intervention to confirm that the abortion is completely done and to discuss about contraceptive methods to avoid a similar situation.

First Term (Up to 12 weeks):

If the pregnancy is under 12 weeks' gestation, women will stay in the clinic only for 2 or 3 hours. The doctor will check the vagina and the cervix with a speculum, then a iodine solution will be applied to improve the asepsis and some local anaesthetic will be injected around the cervix. In some cases women could feel some discomfort. Then the doctor will introduce a thin round-ended tube into the uterus removing the content using negative pressure. During the process a nurse will take care of the patient and the technique will be permanently monitored through an ultrasound scanner. Only after confirming that the uterus is completely empty, will the procedure be finished. Up to 12 weeks, women can choose to have the vacuum aspiration under local or general anaesthetic. If the pregnancy is more than 12 weeks, the procedure will be under general anaesthetic.

Second Term (Up tp 22 weeks):

During the first weeks of the second term of pregnancy women do not need to stay overnight in the clinic, however they will remain under observation for some time after the general anaesthetic, about 5 or 6 hours. The procedure is similar to the one used for the first term. The patient will stay asleep because of the general anaesthetic.
Depending on the weeks of the pregnancy three different methods will be used: vacuum aspiration, foetus and placenta extraction and induction. The induction technique is used generally for pregnancies of more than 19 weeks. It requires women to stay in the clinic less than 24 hours. Women will rest in a room under medical control until they are discharged.

General remarks:

· Under local anaesthetic, a fasting of 6 hours is required.
· Under general anaesthetic, women cannot drink nor eat from midnight of the previous day.

Side effects:

· Pain: some pain may occur some days after whether the intervention was under local or general anaesthetic. If needed, the patient can take an analgesic which is always provided during the counselling session before the intervention.
· Bleeding: during some days after the abortion women may have some bleeding, usually less than in a normal period. It is also normal not to bleed at all.
· Nausea and vomiting could happen in some cases just after the procedure.

Complications:

· Incomplete evacuation: on very rare occasions some small remaining tissue may stay inside the uterus, despite the ultrasound monitoring during the procedure. In that case a second procedure will be needed.
· Heavy bleedings: normally due to an incomplete evacuation.
· Infections: are very rare due to the technique used and the antibiotic provided.
· Perforations or tears.