An aspiration abortion is done entirely in our clinic on the day of your appointment. All assessments including an ultrasound are done in the clinic so you do not have to go anywhere other than Kensington Clinic for evaluation of your pregnancy. After the ultrasound, you will meet with our counsellor to discuss the procedure in detail. You will then meet with a nurse who will take your medical history prior to your procedure. During the procedure, you will receive sedation that helps makes you feel comfortable and relaxed.
6 to 12 weeks — If your pregnancy is between 6 and 12 weeks, the doctor gently opens the cervix a small amount in our comfortable procedure room. Once the cervix is opened appropriately, the doctor uses gentle suction to clean out the contents of the uterus. The doctor may use a spoon-shaped instrument (curette) to check the walls of the uterus for any tissue that may remain. The doctor will check to ensure all of the pregnancy is removed and the procedure is complete. The procedure will last less than 10 minutes, but your appointment will take 3 hours.
13 to 16 weeks — If your pregnancy is 13 weeks to 16 weeks, you will first be given a medication before the procedure called Misoprostol. Misoprostol softens the cervix and makes dilation easier. Misoprostol takes about 2 hours to work, so you will be given a recliner to rest in. The procedure will last up to 15 minutes as described above. Your appointment will take 4-5 hours.
You will rest in the recovery area after the procedure is over. There is generally no follow-up required after an aspiration abortion. Most patients return to normal activities the following day.
Medication Abortion vs Aspiration Abortion
Please consider carefully which type of procedure best suits you. Although there is bleeding and cramping with both aspiration and medication abortions, bleeding and cramping will be more intense and of greater duration with a medication abortion. Our staff will be happy to assist you and answer your questions and concerns before you make your appointment. However, if you book for one type of appointment and change your mind on the day of the appointment, you will have to rebook an appointment on another day. Please read the Comparison of Early Abortion Options.