What are the possible risks or complications of an abortion?
Although the risk of having a complication during an abortion is very low, possible complications include excessive bleeding, retained tissue, missed pregnancy, perforation and infection. “Retained tissue” means tissue that remains in the uterus after the surgery is over. Symptoms of retained tissue might be excessive bleeding, large blood clots and intense cramping. While uncommon, this complication is treatable by reaspiration (repeating the procedure to remove any residual matter). “Missed pregnancy” means that one can remain pregnant after the procedure is over. In other words, it is a failure to terminate a pregnancy. Although this is unusual, it can be corrected by repeating the procedure. “Perforation” means a tear in the cervix or puncture in the wall of the uterus. It is a rare complication that can vary from mild to severe. Perforation is highly unlikely to occur in a setting where surgeries are performed by experienced gynecologists. About .01 in every 100,000 (one in a mill
