Medical Vs Surgical (Aspiration) Abortion
You may have known or read about MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy), do you know that there is another surgical way to remove the foetus from your body? Surgical aspiration of foetus from the body is called Surgical Abortion or Aspiration. An electrical suction or a syringe like device is used to suck the foetus out of the womb during the surgery. Here, let’s take a look at some differences between the procedures and then depending on your choice and your doctor’s advice, you can take the appropriate route if you plan to abort your baby.
Medical Termination of pregnancy or medical abortion
MTP involves using pills/tablets to:
- Stop the growth of the foetus
- Induce cramps so that the uterus ejects the foetus out of the body, through the vagina. (Induced miscarriage)
Two different medicines will be given after your first consultation with the gynaecologist. Depending on the type of the medicine, there needs to be a gap in taking those medicines. Your gynaecologist will brief you on that. You can either go for in-person consultation or you can talk to your doctor online. After taking the second medicine, you should expect bleeding and severe cramps that may last for more than 4 hours. During this period, large chunks of foetus fall through the vagina. It should be like a heavy period. After that, the bleeding should stop and you should be able to rest.
If bleeding doesn’t stop after 4 hours, you must call your doctor and take advice. Very rarely, people may need to visit the emergency ward when they terminate their pregnancy using medicines.
Will you become pregnant after MTP?
Yes, MTP shouldn’t cause any complications that can stop you from getting pregnant in the future.
Surgical Abortion
A full body anaesthesia is preferred before performing surgical abortion. If not, local anaesthesia will be given to the cervix (lower part of uterus) and then dilation of cervix will be done. Then a tube will be placed in the cervix to make a clear opening into the uterus that can facilitate the removal of the foetus from the uterus. Then an electric machine or a syringe-like instrument will be inserted through the tube and the uterus is emptied.
This is relatively a simple procedure and may not take more than 15 minutes after you are put to sleep. A nurse will be present by your side if you are awake so that you can communicate any pain or cramps during the surgery.
Can you get pregnant after a surgical abortion?
Yes. There is no recorded evidence that any one wasn’t able to conceive after undergoing a surgical abortion. Whatever the complications, that may arise can be treated with medicines in most cases.
What are the complications that may arise due to abortion?
In either MTP or surgical abortion, complications may very rarely come up. Those may include excessive bleeding, injury to the uterus due to the insertion of medical instruments, infection etc. Considering the possible complications, MTP is relatively a safer procedure but in very few cases, the entire foetus may not fall off which may then require a surgical aspiration. Pain medication may be required in some cases. Ibuprofen can take care of the pain in most cases.
