First-Trimester Abortion
First-Trimester Abortions
A first-trimester abortion is an abortion done up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. We perform surgical abortions during the first-trimester. We provide surgical abortions starting from the very earliest a pregnancy can be seen by ultrasound.
Surgical Abortions
A surgical abortion can be done safely, only if the pregnancy can be definitely seen inside the uterus on an ultrasound exam. The lower limit of visualization of a pregnancy by ultrasound is five weeks by menstrual age (approximately three weeks after conception). The surgical abortion method used for first-trimester abortions is known as suction dilatation and curettage (D&C). During the procedure, the cervical canal is very gently dilated with sterile dilators, and the uterine contents are gently suctioned out with sterile, one-use-only disposable plastic uterine curettes. We provide local and general anesthesia. Under local anesthesia, we provide pre-operative medications such as anti-anxiety and pain medications.