First Trimester Surgical Abortion

First trimester abortions are performed by vacuum aspiration up to 13 weeks of pregnancy. Patients can choose to be awake or asleep for surgery, which lasts approximately 3-5 minutes.

Making Your Appointment
If you plan to use your private health insurance or HMO, please tell us at the time you make your appointment so that we may verify your insurance coverage before your scheduled surgery appointment.

If you have any health conditions, drug allergies, or if you take any regular medication (asthma inhaler, insulin, blood pressure medication), please inform us of this when you make your appointment.

In order to protect your confidentiality, we do not confirm appointments by phone. When you make your appointment, be sure to write down the date and time you have chosen.

Before You Arrive
If you would like to complete your registration forms before you arrive, they are available here for download.

NOTE: If you would like to complete your registration forms before you arrive, they are available here for download in Adobe Acrobat Reader. Please access www.adobe.com for a FREE download. Then you can download, print and complete the following two forms: Medical History | Demographics Information

Do not eat, drink or smoke after midnight on the day of your surgery. You can have nothing at all by mouth after midnight. This includes gum, candy, water, etc. In some instances you may be instructed by our medical staff to take your regular medications with a small sip of water.

If you take insulin for diabetes, DO NOT take insulin in the morning.

If you have an inhaler for asthma, please bring it with you, even if you rarely use it.

If you take any medications, please bring them with you.

Do not wear any jewelry, including earrings, bracelets, rings, etc. All body piercing jewelry must be removed. If you are going to be asleep for surgery, you may not have any piercings in the nose or mouth. Do not bring any valuables or a large amount of cash.

Please do not bring children to the clinic. Plan to spend 3 to 5 hours with us in the clinic. Prior to your clinic visit, make sure that you have arranged for a ride to and from the clinic.

Please bring the full fee in the form of cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, money order, cashier’s check or traveler’s check. We do not accept personal checks. If you use a credit card, the person whose name is on the card must be present to sign for charges. If you are referred by your insurance company or HMO, please bring your insurance card, photo ID and referral (if required by your HMO). If you have Medicaid, please bring your Medicaid card and a photo ID to be eligible for the discount fee.

The fee you pay at the time of surgery includes pregnancy testing, admitting, pre-operative history and physical, ultrasound, lab work, surgery, RhoGAM or MicRhoGAM (if required), medications given on the day of surgery, post-operative medications and your post-operative care as authorized by us.

About Your Visit
When you arrive at the clinic, you will be asked to complete personal demographic and health information and consent forms. An admissions staff member will explain the procedure to you and assist you in completing additional paperwork. A lab technician will draw a sample of your blood to determine your Rh factor and iron level. The admissions staff member will escort you to your locker where you will change into a gown that we provide. Your vital signs will be taken.

The clinician (a Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner) will review your medical history and perform a physical examination. If you have chosen to stay awake for surgery (local anesthesia), the clinician will numb the cervical area with injections of a local anesthetic. A medical assistant will escort you to the surgical suite. If you have chosen to be asleep for surgery (general anesthesia), you will go to the surgical suite and have an IV placed in order to administer the anesthesia.

In the surgical suite, a licensed CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist) will administer anesthesia and a licensed medical doctor who is board certified in OB/GYN will perform the abortion by gently removing the contents of the uterus by vacuum aspiration. You will be in the surgery room about 5-7 minutes. Patients who are asleep for surgery are completely asleep. They feel no pain or discomfort. Patients who are awake for surgery should expect to feel cramping and discomfort for 3-5 minutes during surgery.

After surgery, you will be taken to the recovery room where trained medical personnel, including nurses and medical assistants will care for you until you are ready to be discharged. Recovery room time is approximately one hour for most patients.

After you leave the recovery room, our medical staff will offer you a light snack. They will explain your post-operative care. Before you are discharged to your driver, you will receive your medications to take home. You will also be given an instruction sheet that will include our 24-hour emergency number to call with any questions or problems you may have after you leave our facility.

You should rest for the remainder of the day after your surgery. You are able to go to work or school the day after surgery, unless the doctor has told you otherwise.