Abortion

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Abortion procedure

Suction curettage

The risks for any anesthesia are:

• Reactions to medications
• Problems breathing

The risks for any surgery are:

• Bleeding
• Infection

Additional risks of surgical abortion include:

• Excessive bleeding
• Infection of the uterus
• Infection of the fallopian tubes (which can cause scarring and interfere with fertility (infertility)
• Puncture (perforation) of the uterus, or damage to the cervix (rare)
• Emotional or psychological distress

The risks of surgical abortion increase as a woman gets further along in her pregnancy. That's why it's important to make a decision about abortion as early as possible, when the procedure is safest.

The risks of abortion using medication include:

• Prolonged bleeding
• Incomplete abortion necessitating a surgical abortion
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Pain

Review Date: 02/18/2005
Reviewed By: Alison Stuebe, M.D., Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.