safe medical abortion
Till 7 weeks of pregnancy, medical abortions can be done with help of abortion pills. This treatment lasts for 3 days following which bleeding per vaginum takes place and the products of conception are expelled vaginally. The expulsion process lasts between 1 to 2 days and then the bleeding decreases. A reexamination by ultrasound is recommended after 5 to 7 days to ensure complete emptying of the uterus.
It is necessary that the uterus empties itself completely and no part of the conception is left behind in the uterus. If any part of the conception is left behind in the uterine cavity, it is called incomplete abortion. In case of incomplete abortion, surgical suction evacuation under ultrasound guidance is recommended.
In pregnancies that are beyond 7 weeks of gestation, surgical abortion by suction evacuation method is recommended. This is a world standard method that will be done under short general anesthesia and is pain free. The actual process lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and the patient is fully conscious within a few minutes. The patient is monitored for complete recovery and is discharged within a few hours.
In case the pregnancy is beyond 10 weeks of gestation, the abortion process may last for 3 to 5 days to ensure a complete abortion.
