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First Trimester Surgical Abortion
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Second Trimester Surgical Abortion
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Abortion Pill
Second
Trimester Surgical Abortion
Second trimester abortions are
performed between 13.5 to 23.5 weeks of pregnancy and require from 2
to 3 consecutive clinic visits. We use the dilation and evacuation procedure,
also known as a D&E. Cervical dilators, called Laminaria or Dilapan,
are inserted into the cervix to gradually dilate it overnight before
a doctor performs the surgery.
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
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 on the 1st Day of Insertion
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
You may drive yourself to and from the clinic on the days before your
surgery. On the day of surgery, you must have arrangements made for
someone else to drive home.
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. Because you will 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 2 to 3 hours
with us in 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, dilator insertion,
pre-operative medications, 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 on the 1st Day of Insertion
When you arrive for your appointment, you will be asked to complete
personal demographic and health information and consent forms. An ultrasound
will be performed to determine the length of gestation, if one has not
been recently done at another FPA facility. You will meet with an admissions
staff member to discuss your procedure, medical history, and both pre-operative
and post-operative instructions. The admissions staff member will assist
you with any additional paperwork. The laboratory technician will draw
a sample of blood to determine your iron level and Rh factor. After
you have changed into a gown provided by the clinic, your vital signs
will be taken.
You will be escorted to the treatment room where the clinician, a Physician
Assistant or Nurse Practitioner, will perform a history and physical
and will insert cervical dilators. This procedure takes approximately
5-15 minutes. Most patients experience cramping and discomfort during
the insertion. We will provide you with pain medication. After the insertion,
the vaginal canal will be packed with sterile gauze which has been soaked
in betadine (an antiseptic solution) to keep cervical dilators in place
and to prevent infection.
After your insertion, you will be escorted from the treatment room to
the discharge area. The discharge medical staff will give you post-insertion
instructions, medications, and an appointment time for your next day
insertion or surgery. You will receive an instruction sheet that will
include telephone numbers that you can call 24 hours a day if you have
any questions or problems after you leave the clinic.
About Your Visit on the 2nd Day of Insertion
(if necessary)
If your procedure requires 2 days of dilator insertion, on the second
day, you will check in with the receptionist and be escorted to the
treatment area. A clinician will remove the dilators inserted the first
day and insert additional dilators into the cervix to further increase
its dilation. The discharge nurse will give you additional instructions
before you go home.
Before You Arrive on the Day of Surgery
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. Because you will 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.
About Your Visit on the Day of Surgery
When you arrive at the clinic, you will change into a gown that we provide
and have your vital signs taken. A medical assistant will escort you
to the surgical suite.
In the surgical suite, a licensed CRNA will administer anesthesia and
a licensed medical doctor who is board certified in OB/GYN will perform
the abortion by removing the pregnancy and aspirating the uterine lining.
You will be in the surgery room about 10-20 minutes. Patients are completely
asleep for surgery. They feel no pain or discomfort.
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 1 to 3 hours for most patients, depending on the gestation
of your pregnancy.
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.
