How is abortion performed?
• In the first trimester, surgical abortion is called vacuum aspiration. This is a relatively quick two-step process. The first step to the surgery is dilating the cervix. The doctor does this by numbing the cervix, and then using plastic dilators to open the cervix to the appropriate width, usually a few millimeters. The second step is to remove the contents of the uterus by suction. The entire process usually takes less than 5 minutes and can be performed using only local anesthetic, although we have additional anesthesia options available. • In the second trimester (14 weeks and up), surgical abortion is called dilation and evacuation, or D&E. Because the pregnancy is more developed than in the first trimester, additional steps are taken to dilate the cervix. We do this several ways. Starting at 14 weeks, the doctor inserts dilators called laminaria into the cervix the day before the procedure. Laminaria are small dilators made from natural seaweed, and they expand slowly as they ab
