Surgical abortion is a medical procedure used to end a pregnancy through a suction procedure or using instruments to remove the pregnancy. It is typically performed using vacuum aspiration (called a dilatation & curettage, D&C) or dilation and evacuation (D&E), depending on the stage of pregnancy.

Before your procedure. Your first appointment includes an ultrasound to confirm gestational age and a thorough medical history. You will meet with our physician and a counsellor to discuss the procedure, your options, and any questions you have. For most patients, this assessment happens on the same day as the procedure. For later-gestation patients, the process may take place over more than one visit. During the procedure. You will be in our procedure room with our physician and nursing team. Conscious sedation is provided to keep you comfortable. The procedure itself is generally quick, particularly for earlier-gestation pregnancies. After the procedure. You will rest in our recovery area until you are ready to leave. We provide aftercare instructions and patient handouts that include details about our 24-hour on-call system and guide your healing until you should be back to normal (approximately 4-6 weeks after the abortion). If you have any urgent concerns after you go home, a member of our medical team is reachable directly, at any hour.

Surgical abortions can feel crampy, similar to a heavy or painful menstrual period. This typically happens during the last few minutes of the procedure. During the procedure, we do give you strong pain medication as well as anti-anxiety medication. The local freezing can also be painful for a few moments with each injection, but tends to be well-worth it, so you feel the most comfortable during the procedure itself.

Surgical abortion is a highly safe procedure when performed by trained medical professionals in a healthcare setting. The risks of complications are low, but, like any medical procedure, there are potential risks, which our counsellor and physician will discuss with you.

Check out the Blog entitled "LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING YOU" to prepare for your appointment.

Recovery varies by individual, but most people can resume normal activities immediately. You will experience bleeding and cramping for a few days up to a few weeks. We recommend you do not do any heavy lifting/ running/ vigorous exercise for a couple of weeks after the surgery, as it may increase your bleeding and pain. If you need a note to this effect, we can provide this at the end of your service. It is very important, however, to keep active by walking and standing as much as possible and avoiding long periods of rest (other than when you go to sleep at night).

An uncomplicated abortion has not been shown to change a woman's fertility. If there are severe complications (which are highly unlikely) there may be effects on fertility. These complications will be reviewed with you in detail, to make sure you understand them before you have the abortion. However, keep in mind that the risk of all possible complications added together is extremely small and much lower than giving birth. For example, the risk of perforating the uterus is less than 0.05%, and most perforations do not threaten fertility.

All surgical abortion services at Cabbagetown Women's Clinic are covered under OHIP for patients with valid Ontario health coverage. There is no out-of-pocket cost for OHIP-eligible patients. If you do not have OHIP coverage, please contact our clinic to discuss fees and assisted funding options. We do not turn patients away based on inability to pay without first exploring what support may be available.