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Carolina Center for Women 421 N. Wendover Road Charlotte, NC 28211 704-367-2255 1-800-637-3445

Carolina Women's Clinic, Inc.
Facts About Early Abortion

What is an early abortion? It is a procedure to terminate pregnancy in the first trimester.

How is it done? You will be carefully screened for medical problems. Counselors will be available to explore feelings and attitudes about abortion. Laboratory tests (urinalysis for protein and glucose, pregnancy test, hematocrit and blood grouping and typing) will be done by a certified laboratory technician. If the uterus is enlarged beyond a 16 week size, the abortion will not be done and the counselor will help you explore alternatives and offer referral sources. Occasionally the laboratory tests or the medical screening may indicate a problem which would lead to referral for hospitalization for the abortion procedure.

The method used for abortion is vacuum aspiration. A local anesthetic is injected into the cervix (the lower part of the uterus). This will diminish the discomfort which may come with the dilation of the cervix. The opening of the cervix is gradually stretched by a series of long, narrow, and sterile metal dilators. Each is a little wider and thicker than the other and the last one is about as thick as a fountain pen. A sterile, blunt tipped hollow tube is then inserted into the uterus and attached to a suction machine. The suction is turned an and the contents of the uterus are emptied. After the uterus has been emptied an ordinary spoon shaped curette is used for a final cleaning of the lining of the uterus.

You will then walk to the recovery room where you will be observed and then discharged.

What can I expect to happen? During the procedure you may experience some cramping. The procedure usually lasts about ten minutes. You may experience some bleeding, but not heavier than a normal period, for a week or two after the abortion. You will be given instructions about post-operative care and contraceptive information.

Are there any other possible problems? Complications are possible with early abortion, as with any kind of surgery; but even the ones most likely to occur are encountered in only a small number of cases. The problems are as follows:

Local anesthetic reaction. Very infrequently, a woman may be allergic to Novocain derivatives. If this is known, it is important to tell the doctor.

Perforation. An instrument may go through the wall of the uterus. There are less than 1000 chances in 100,000, but should this happen, the patient may require hospitalization for observation and/or completion of the abortion and surgical repair.

Lacerations. The cervical opening may be torn a little. In these rare cases, most often a few stitches are enough to avoid further difficulty.

Incomplete abortion. There is a chance in about 5,000 out of 100,000 cases that some part of the contents of the uterus may be retained. This could cause severe cramps and heavy bleeding. To remove this tissue, it may be necessary to do a repeat procedure at the clinic or hospital. If this complication occurs, it may be apparent right away, or not until several hours or days after the first procedure.

Infection. It is caused by bacteria in the uterus and reported in 2,000 out of 100,000 cases. Such infections usually respond to antibiotics, but in a few cases hospitalization is necessary; and occasionally surgery is required.

How effective is an early abortion? In less than 1 percent of cases, the abortion procedure fails to end the pregnancy. It's this possibility, among others, that makes a post-abortion examination essential. In such cases, another abortion procedure is recommended, as the first 0ne is likely to have effected normal development of the pregnancy. Rarely, a tubal pregnancy may exist, which will require major surgery to remove.

How safe is an early abortion? Abortion services throughout the United States are currently carefully monitored by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) of the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The CDC has reported that Abortion in the first trimester is one of the safest of all surgical procedures; in the period of 1972-1975 there were 1.5 deaths per 100,000 early abortions compared, for example, with 3 deaths per 100,000 tonsillectomies. The CDC has also found that the risk of maternal death from full-term pregnancy and childbirth is approximately 9 times greater than that of first trimester abortion.

Please have your money and your ID with you when called back the 1st time to see the counselor. Also, you must have a ride with you or arrangements must be made prior to the abortion procedure or you will not be given valium or versed. The procedure can be completed without the above medications.

Listed below are the fees for our clinic.

If for any reason the abortion is unable to be performed; there will be a charge for the services rendered: (Lab: $30.00, Office visit: $40.00, Ultrasound: $65.00, Counseling: $25.00) = $160.00. Post-op charges

 

Not all these fees will be charged to you. You may incur some, please speak with your counselor today. If you have any complaints about our service that you can not work out with us, please contact:

NCDHR 1(919) 733-8499
Division of Facility Services
P.O. Box 29530
Raleigh, NC 27626-0530