This is the most common way to terminate a pregnancy up to 12 weeks. Currently, instrumental abortion is performed under anesthesia: more often - using intravenous anesthesia (a drug is injected into the vein, against the background of which there is an instant - "at the end of the needle" - sleep), less often - epidural anesthesia or general endotracheal anesthesia (an inhalation drug is administered through tube into the trachea).
The method of anesthesia is determined by the anesthetist, depending on the individual indications and contraindications for the patient. The cervix is opened with special dilators (tubes of various diameters), then a curette (metal loop) is inserted into the uterine cavity, which is used to scrape the uterine cavity. The risk of instrumental abortion complications is reduced if ultrasonic control with a vaginal probe and an examination of the uterine cavity with a hysteroscope (a special optical device) are performed before and after the procedure. However, instrumental abortion is a surgical procedure that uses anesthesia, so complications cannot be completely ruled out.
A rare but most dangerous complication of curettage of the uterine cavity is perforation of the uterine wall with penetration into the abdominal cavity. Severe bleeding, peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum), trauma to the abdominal organs can cause death.
Early complications after abortion include bleeding, disorders of the blood coagulation system. Sometimes blood clots accumulate in the uterine cavity due to cervical spasm, which may require repeated curettage.