How are the different surgical abortion procedures performed?
First Trimester (1-12 weeks) 1. Suction curettage – The physician dilates (opens) the cervix with mechanical dilators or laminaria (a porous substance that is typically inserted a day before the abortion). During the abortion, the doctor attaches tubing to a suction machine and inserts the tubing into the uterus. The suction created by the vacuum pulls the unborn baby’s body apart and detaches the placenta from the wall of the uterus, sucking the fetal parts and placenta into a collection bottle. 2. Dilation and Curettage (D&C, or sharpe curettage) – This method is not as common since it requires more dilation and more time, and is considered less safe than suction curettage. The cervix is dilated and a curette, or loop-shaped knife, is inserted into the uterus to pull the unborn baby’s body apart and detach the placenta from the wall of the uterus. All body parts and membranes are then scraped out of the mothers body. Second Trimester (13-26 weeks) 1. Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) – A
