Surgical abortion procedure
5-13 weeks: A local aesthetic will be injected into the cervix. The injection may cause a pinching and burning sensation which lasts about 3-5 seconds.
The cervix will then be gently dilated. Once the cervix is dilated, a small sterile tube is inserted into the uterus and a light suction is used to remove the contents of the uterus.
14-18 weeks: Some additional care is necessary for people who are over 14 weeks into their pregnancy. Prior to the start of the procedure, small dilating rods called laminaria will be inserted into the cervix in order to dilate the cervix slowly. Some people may experience mild to moderate menstrual type cramps during the insertion.
19-22+6 weeks: For abortions over 19 weeks, the dilators must remain in place overnight. People who are between 19 and 22+6 weeks will come to AWC for laminaria insertion and return to the clinic the next morning for their surgeries. These laminaria are removed prior to the start of the abortion procedure.
Surgical Abortion (from 5-23 weeks)
At the Allentown Women’s Centre, we offer outpatient surgical abortion care from 5-23 weeks of pregnancy. We offer a range of pain management options and single-visit appointments
The surgical method is a simple medical procedure that usually takes 3–20 minutes (depending on how far you are into your pregnancy). Our physicians use a vacuum aspiration technique to remove the contents of the uterus.
Surgical abortion procedure
5-13 weeks: A local aesthetic will be injected into the cervix. The injection may cause a pinching and burning sensation which lasts about 3-5 seconds.
The cervix will then be gently dilated. Once the cervix is dilated, a small sterile tube is inserted into the uterus and a light suction is used to remove the contents of the uterus.
14-18 weeks: Some additional care is necessary for people who are over 14 weeks into their pregnancy. Prior to the start of the procedure, small dilating rods called laminaria will be inserted into the cervix in order to dilate the cervix slowly. Some people may experience mild to moderate menstrual type cramps during the insertion.
19-22+6 weeks: For abortions over 19 weeks, the dilators must remain in place overnight. People who are between 19 and 22+6 weeks will come to AWC for laminaria insertion and return to the clinic the next morning for their surgeries. These laminaria are removed prior to the start of the abortion procedure.