Table of Contents
- Overview
- Risks
- Recovery
- Prevention
- Images
Suction curettage; Surgical abortion; Elective abortion - surgical; Therapeutic abortion - surgical
Risks
Risks of surgical abortion include:
- Damage to the womb or cervix
- Emotional or psychological distress
- Excessive bleeding
- infection of the uterus or fallopian tubes
The risks of surgical abortion increase as a woman gets further along in her pregnancy. That's why it's important to make a decision about abortion as early as possible, when the procedure is safest.
The risks for any anesthesia are:
- Reactions to medications
- Problems breathing
The risks for any surgery are:
- Bleeding
- Infection
Call your health care provider if you have had a surgical abortion and you have:
- Excessive vaginal bleeding (may lead to shock)
- Continued pain or pregnancy symptoms (possible sign of
ectopic pregnancy ) - Signs of infection, including persistent fever, vaginal drainage with a foul odor, vaginal drainage that looks like pus, or abdominal pain or tenderness
Images
Previous Section
Review Date: 11/21/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of
Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of
Medicine; and Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Chief, Eastside Department
of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget
Sound, Redmond, Washington; Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department
of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of
Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director,
A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
