Abortion by vacuum aspiration and its consequences. Vacuum aspiration

Content

Vacuum aspiration of the uterine cavity is a simple, effective way to remove the fertilized egg in early pregnancy, extract blood clots after childbirth, and perform an endometrial biopsy.

There are two options for aspiration:

1. Manual - a special syringe is used that creates negative pressure.
2. Electric - the device creates a vacuum. Less common in our country.

After vacuum aspiration is completed, the obtained tissues of the uterine cavity must be examined. A woman may at any time be faced with a situation where she should undergo surgery. It is necessary to understand what MVA of the uterine cavity is, the benefits and consequences of the chosen procedure.

Discharge

Discharge after vacuum aspiration is significant. Vacuum aspiration is an invasive procedure and belongs to the group of minor surgical operations. It is believed that MVA is less traumatic, but the vessels are mechanically injured. The patient must stay in the medical facility for at least 4 hours after the intervention. Bloody discharge is controlled: not abundant, with small clots, dark brown in color, gradually disappearing. The discharge resembles that of menstruation. On average they stop after 10 days.

Pathological blood loss after vacuum aspiration soaking more than 2 large pads for 2 hours is considered. Such allocations are unacceptable.

More massive bleeding is accompanied by loss of consciousness, a drop in pressure, tachycardia, dizziness, a feeling of excessive sweating and disorientation.

It is imperative to consult with a doctor when leaving the hospital: discuss possible complications, be prepared to return to the hospital, and arrange for help to get to a medical facility. If you experience symptoms of abnormal bleeding, persistent pain, fever, discharge in large clots or with a foul odor, or any deterioration in your health, you should seek medical help.

Discharge that lasts more than 10 days is a cause for concern. You should not try to stop the discharge in the form of bleeding on your own. It is possible that there is no discharge at all after a minor operation. You shouldn't be happy. Most likely, the uterine pharynx is spasmed - there is no release of blood clots. The uterine cavity gradually fills, causing unbearable pain. Painkillers will temporarily dull the sensations. Danger - high risk of septic complications. Treatment is required: an antispasmodic to relieve muscle spasms of the cervix, antibacterial therapy, repeated cleaning of the uterine cavity.

Indications, contraindications and complications

There are certain indications for vacuum aspiration of the uterine cavity. Gynecologists name the following reasons for which it is necessary to perform vacuum aspiration of the uterine cavity.

1. Termination of pregnancy (unwanted, for medical reasons) up to 12 weeks.
2. Incomplete abortion (spontaneous, after an unsuccessful attempt at a medical or criminal abortion).
3. Bubble drift.
4. Hematometra.
5. Remains of placental tissue after childbirth: spontaneous and surgical.
6. Endometrial biopsy and study of organ biocenosis.
7. Dysfunctional bleeding from the uterus.

There are certain contraindications to vacuum aspiration of the uterine cavity:

• pregnancy more than 12 weeks;
• suspicion of ectopic localization of the ovum;
• inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system in the acute and subacute period;
• acute form of inflammatory diseases of any localization, including infectious;
• violation of the coagulation system;
• uterine fibroids or abnormal development of the genital organs;

Possible complications:

• rupture of the uterus or cervix;
• hematometer;
• inflammatory diseases of the genital organs;
• incomplete removal of the fertilized egg;
• menstrual irregularities;
• infertility.

Control questions

It is important to discuss the method of pain relief during manipulation. The following options are possible: psychological support, analgesics in combination with sedatives, paracervical blockade, intravenous anesthesia. The threshold for pain sensitivity varies from person to person; anesthesia should be discussed with your doctor in advance.

The issue of antibacterial therapy should also be addressed to prevent septic complications, which often manifest as pathological discharge. The uterus is a wound surface where infection can enter with a high probability of developing serious complications - endometritis, myometritis, salpingoophoritis. More often they use drugs from the group of protected penicillins and cephalosporins. It is advisable to conduct an allergy test before starting to take the medicine.

The second equally important issue is contraception. Having decided in favor of oral contraceptives, the patient takes the first pill on the day of the procedure. Having chosen an intrauterine device, it must be placed immediately after the procedure or 14 days after the ultrasound at the next appearance.

If there is discharge after vacuum aspiration the spiral is not installed, but therapeutic measures are carried out.

The risk of perforation is reduced by the fact that curettage of the organ cavity is not recommended in routine practice.

The patient may feel painful uterine contractions several hours or days after the operation. Painkillers are allowed. Severe, unbearable pain that cannot be controlled by medications is a reason to go to the doctor.

Menstruation usually appears after a month to a month and a half. Two irregular cycles are allowed. Further violation indicates pathology.

Vacuum aspiration of the uterine cavity occurs almost without complications. However, there is an open rule - two weeks after the procedure, it is mandatory to see a doctor. During the examination, the gynecologist will clarify possible complaints, take a smear on the flora, conduct an ultrasound examination, and clarify the method of contraception. An ultrasound will show whether a complete abortion has occurred, whether there are signs of endometritis or blood in the retroperitoneal space. A second visit should not be neglected if there are no symptoms. It is better to make sure that the procedure went without complications than to treat them later.

Manipulation after childbirth

Vacuum aspiration after childbirth is used when parts of the placenta are retained in the cavity. Such surgical intervention is possible in the absence of a normal course of the postpartum period: the nature of the discharge has changed due to cervical spasm and the outflow of blood has been disrupted.

The most common cause of vacuum aspiration after childbirth is retained parts of the placenta. In this regard, normal involution is disrupted, the uterus cannot contract properly - bleeding continues. Accumulating clots undergo rotting - a focus of powerful inflammation is formed, the breakdown products of which enter the blood. If help is not provided in time, in order to save life from septic shock, the woman will undergo a radical operation - removal of the uterus.

It is urgent to remove the remains of blood clots, parts of the placenta and membranes. Vacuum aspiration after childbirth or hydatidiform mole is a vital procedure, without which recovery is often impossible.

Biopsy

The presence of complaints of infertility, menstrual irregularities, pain during sexual intercourse, the appearance of discharge not related to the cycle - require clarification of the cause. It is necessary not only to find endometrial pathology, but also to exclude a tumor process. The absence of changes during ultrasound allows young women to recommend vacuum aspiration of the endometrium. The technique is more gentle and is often performed under local anesthesia. The doctor first recommends taking painkillers and antispasmodics.

In medical institutions, the procedure is called pipel biopsy. If hyperplasia is suspected, proof of malignancy or its absence is necessary before undergoing myomectomy. A histological examination obtained by vacuum aspiration is performed. It is also used to determine the causes of infertility and prepare for IVF. Minimal preparation and accurate results are guaranteed.

Manual vacuum aspiration of the uterine cavity is a common method of assisting women. The advantage of the method over medical abortion is a wider time frame, and over surgical abortion it is less traumatic. The range of indications for use is quite extensive, and there are not many contraindications and complications. For your own reproductive health, it is useful to know about the methodology for providing MVA. It is necessary to follow all the recommendations of the obstetrician-gynecologist: take prescribed medications, monitor discharge, control pain, and if the first adverse symptoms occur, return to the hospital.

Doctors are convinced that vacuum abortion can be performed between 6 and 12 weeks of pregnancy. However, sometimes it can be done earlier - in the fifth or fourth week. Before such a complex operation, it is necessary to undergo a series of procedures, including a pregnancy test, as well as an examination by a gynecologist and, accordingly, an ultrasound examination. If the pregnancy is indeed confirmed, the doctor during the consultation discusses with the girl what actions need to be taken in the future.
If you nevertheless decide to have an abortion, the doctor must set a date for performing the method. However, in some cases, an abortion is performed on the same day as the consultation. However, having decided to undergo such an operation, you must remember that there may be risks and even side effects from such a traumatic procedure.

How is abortion performed?

Removal of the fertilized egg is performed using vacuum suction. This atraumatic method makes it possible to significantly reduce the risk of infection and the development of bleeding, and also prevents the possibility of injuring the uterus. Doctors call this method of terminating pregnancy in the earliest stages a vacuum or blink abortion.

It must be said that vacuum abortion is necessarily performed in a clinical setting using anesthesia. In order to perform the operation, the doctor does not need to perform additional dilation, because the doctor inserts a catheter through the cervix. This simple method makes it possible to balance pressure. Under its influence, the fertilized egg, which is implanted in the uterus, begins to gradually separate and be excreted.

The undeniable advantage of this method is that there are absolutely no consequences affecting the expansion of the uterus. This reduces the possibility of traumatic action. An innovative and unique method makes it possible to reduce by an order of magnitude the possibility of such “common” consequences for abortions as infection, disruption of the integrity of the cervix and bleeding. The main advantage of this traumatic method of termination of pregnancy is that it requires a small amount of time. In other words, the entire operation will last no more than 10 minutes.

Sometimes vacuum abortion is performed using ultrasound beams. This approach to the matter makes it possible to determine the location of the fertilized egg as accurately as possible. Thus, the likelihood of complications is minimized.
After the operation is performed, the girl must be observed and her well-being monitored. If a woman experiences heavy discharge with sharp pain in the lower abdomen, this indicates that the doctor has not completely removed the fertilized egg, so a similar operation must be performed again. Patients who have undergone a similar procedure claim that healing occurs quite quickly.

If the vacuum abortion was successful, then the girl will have to contact her doctor after 1.5 weeks in order to exclude possible side effects. That is why, in order to avoid various kinds of side effects, the doctor must prescribe preventative medications and treatment. In addition, girls need to know that menstruation is restored only 2 months after a mini-abortion.

Consequences

In any case, termination of pregnancy is a surgical intervention. And it can be caused by a number of complications, the main one of which is considered to be partial removal of the fertilized egg. And in order to completely remove it, it is necessary to conduct an ultrasound examination. Side effects also include hormonal shifts and menstrual irregularities. In addition, the course of follicle maturation and ovulation is imbalanced.

Expert opinion

Gynecologists are convinced that vacuum abortion is fraught with the development of inflammatory diseases and various types of infections. In addition, girls who decide on such a radical procedure need to know that even such an improved method as vacuum abortion is fraught with infertility.

Not every woman, having learned about pregnancy, perceives the news with joy and anxious anticipation of motherhood. For some girls, circumstances develop in such a way that it is necessary to terminate the pregnancy, in other words, have an abortion. Vacuum aspiration is considered the most gentle and less traumatic option for interruption. Menstruation after a mini-abortion may come with some irregularities, which makes the woman worry. What is this procedure and what features characterize menstruation after a vacuum abortion?

Many women require lengthy recovery after an abortion procedure.

A mini abortion is the surgical removal of embryonic tissue in the early stages of pregnancy using vacuum aspiration, which is a suction procedure. For such an interruption, special equipment is required, such as a vacuum suction, which creates negative pressure in the uterus, causing the embryonic egg to peel off from the endometrium. It’s just that in the early gestational period, chorionic villi do not grow into the endometrium firmly enough, so removing the embryo does not cause difficulties.

Vacuum aspiration is performed exclusively when menstrual bleeding is delayed up to 21 days, although the most optimal time for such an abortion is 14-15 days of delay. At earlier stages, the embryo may not be noticed and not removed, but at later stages there is a high probability of developing complications. Therefore, the most optimal gestation period during which a mini-abortion can be performed is considered to be 3-5 weeks of gestation.

When is a mini-abortion performed?

There are no special indications for abortion by suctioning the fetus using vacuum aspiration. Usually the leading indication is the desire of the patient herself to carry out the interruption in this way. Although there are some special conditions in which abortion is necessary, for example:

• Intrauterine fetal death;
• Anembryonia, which is characterized by the presence of a fertilized egg without an embryo inside, a similar condition is often called empty fertilized egg syndrome;
• If a woman at the time of alleged conception and immediately after it suffered from severe flu, rubella or any other infection;
• If pregnancy somehow threatens the patient’s life (for example, with diabetes, severe kidney or liver diseases, cancer, etc.);
• If there are social indications such as sexual rape, stay in the MLS, etc.

Moreover, vacuum aspiration can be used for other gynecological purposes, such as incomplete miscarriage, accumulation of serous fluid or blood in the uterus, menstrual irregularities, remnants of placental particles after delivery or fetal fragments after medical termination, as well as if it is necessary to obtain a biosample of the endometrial layer.

Vacuum abortion also has some contraindications. It cannot be performed on patients with ectopic embryo implantation, in a state of fever, with any cold or infection, with acute or chronic pelvic pathologies, poor blood clotting, or abortion less than six months ago.

Advantages and disadvantages

The vacuum interruption method is considered one of the safest

Vacuum interruption has many advantages over other interruption methods. Firstly, during the intervention there is no need to expand the cervical canal, therefore there is practically no discomfort during such an abortion, and the development of cervical insufficiency as a complication is minimized. Secondly, after a vacuum abortive procedure, within three weeks the uterine mucosa is restored, and the vessels of the organ do not have serious damage, which practically eliminates the possibility of bleeding.

When performing an abortion by suctioning the fetus, complications such as perforation of the uterine wall, which often occurs with traditional curettage, are excluded. A vacuum abortion takes about 10 minutes, after which the woman is left under medical supervision for another couple of hours. The procedure does not require general anesthesia and can be performed with local anesthesia. In the early stages of gestation, the hormonal background has not had time to transform and adjust to pregnancy, so the body will not experience stress. The fetus is not yet formed, psychologically such an interruption is easier.

But this abortive method also has some disadvantages. For example, it can only be carried out during a certain period. Incomplete suction of fetal tissue is also possible, in which case repeated aspiration or curettage is necessary.

Features of post-abortion discharge

In the first days after vacuum aspiration, the patient experiences bloody discharge that has nothing to do with menstruation, although it is very similar to it in structure and consistency. The duration of such discharge is about 1-1.5 weeks. To alleviate the condition, experts recommend that patients during this period:

• Direct all efforts to restore the body, and, therefore, get more rest;
• Avoid coffee and dark chocolate and follow a healthy diet;
• Eliminate unhealthy habits;
• Take temperature measurements before bed and in the morning.

If rehabilitation goes well and there are no complications, then after a couple of weeks it is necessary to undergo ultrasound diagnostics to make sure that the abortive procedure was successful and there is nothing more left in the uterine cavity. One of the most common questions after a mini-abortion is when your period comes and how much discharge is observed.

In general, the duration of post-abortion discharge is influenced by the method of interruption, gestational age and age of the patient, her state of health, the quality of the intervention performed and the professionalism of the doctor. If an unpleasant odor appears from the discharge, you should urgently contact a gynecologist, because such a sign indicates the development of an inflammatory process and infection.

First menstruation

If pain symptoms persist, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible

The time when the next menstrual days arrive after a vacuum abortion may vary slightly for each patient. For some girls, their periods come with some delay, while for others, on the contrary, they may begin ahead of schedule. In general, the final restoration and regulation of the menstrual cycle after an abortive vacuum procedure takes about 6 months for nulliparous patients, and 3-4 for those who have given birth.

It is especially necessary to monitor the nature and consistency of the incoming menstruation. If it has a sharp, putrid odor, a yellowish tint and is accompanied by severe painful symptoms, and the patient’s condition noticeably worsens, then it is necessary to urgently visit a specialist and undergo the necessary examination.

As a rule, the intensity of the first post-abortion menstruation is different for each patient and generally depends on how heavy the periods were before the interruption. Some patients have scanty, spotting bleeding, while others suffer from heavy and painful periods. Usually, after a vacuum abortion, the first menstrual bleeding can occur within a month.

How to calculate the arrival of the first menstruation

A woman needs to know the approximate time when menstruation begins after a gentle abortion in order to timely navigate and notice deviations. The onset of the first critical days should occur approximately a month after the interruption. But this does not always happen, and the amount of bleeding can be frightening, as well as excessive pain, although such sensations are normal.

Experts suggest using a simple method to approximate the time when your period will begin.

1. If the standard cycle for a woman is a 28-day period, then the first menstruation will begin approximately the same number of days after the abortion.
2. A delay of critical days of approximately a week to a week and a half is allowed.
3. On average, menstrual bleeding begins after 28-38 days if a woman had a 28-day cycle.

If the female cycle before the abortion was 30 days or more, then we add 10 days to this duration and get the possible period after which the first menstruation should come.

If you don't have your period

Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C and help restore the body well.

If a woman does not have periods a month and a half after the abortion procedure, then it is worth undergoing a gynecological examination in order to identify possible complications. If menstruation has not arrived, and there are no signs of its imminent onset, then it is necessary to urgently contact a gynecologist, because such a long delay can be caused by quite serious factors such as blood accumulation in the uterine body, incomplete suction of the fertilized egg, etc.

If the reasons lie in accumulations of blood, then this could happen due to the blood-clotting drugs used, spasm of the cervical canal or inhibition of uterine contractile functions, due to which the woman’s main reproductive organ lost the ability to expel blood masses. Such a complication is very dangerous and can lead to the development of serious intrauterine infectious pathologies, and therefore requires mandatory surgical intervention.

If during vacuum aspiration the fertilized egg was not completely removed, then its remains can continue to produce chorionic hormone, thereby deceiving the body, creating the illusion of a pregnant hormonal status and interfering with the formation of a normal cycle. Why else might there be problems with menstruation? There are many reasons for this. This may be an inflammatory lesion of the uterine appendages, too deep damage to the endometrial layer during an abortion, or a new pregnancy.

How to understand that complications have arisen

It also happens that menstruation began around the due date, however, the appearance of it frightens the patient, because the discharge has an abnormal consistency, color, smell or structure. Abnormal discharge usually indicates the development of serious complications of abortion and can manifest itself in various forms. Any gynecological intervention, be it vacuum abortive aspiration or traditional curettage, cannot pass without a trace for a woman and will immediately affect the condition of the body. Therefore, patients are especially advised to monitor not only the nature of the discharge immediately after an abortion, but also the structure of the first menstrual bleeding.

• If the first menstruation after an abortion has an intense red or bright scarlet hue, then this sign may indicate intrauterine bleeding. If a sanitary pad is not enough even for an hour, and the bleeding itself continues with similar intensity for quite a long time, then it is necessary to urgently consult a gynecologist.
• If the menstrual discharge has acquired a yellowish-white tint and an unpleasant, fetid odor, then such vivid symptoms indicate developed inflammation, which is often accompanied by hyperthermic symptoms.
• If menstruation is too painful and scanty, and then stops, appearing again a day or two later in an equally scanty amount, then this may indicate thrombus formation in the cervical lumen. A similar complication can also manifest itself as a complete absence of menstruation against the background of severe pain in the abdomen. The clot prevents the bloody masses from coming out, which leads to the development of deadly intrauterine inflammation.
• No less dangerous are menstruation, which is accompanied by copious discharge of mucous accumulations or clots. They may indicate the incompleteness of the vacuum mini-abortion, which requires repeated suction of the fertilized egg or cleaning of the uterus using the traditional curettage method.

Any abortion, whether performed using pills, vacuum aspiration or curettage, poses a certain threat to the female body. Therefore, patients who decide to take such a desperate step need to be extremely attentive to the signals that the body gives after an abortion procedure in order to avoid serious complications and irreversible consequences. One of these signals is a delay in menstruation, indicating infection or inflammation, severe hormonal imbalance and other deviations from the norm that require qualified medical intervention.

Mini-abortion (vacuum aspiration) is a widely known and fairly safe way to terminate a pregnancy up to 7 obstetric weeks (three weeks of missed menstruation). It is popular because it is low-traumatic, does not require general anesthesia, after a mini-abortion there is no discharge similar to uterine bleeding, and very rarely an inflammatory process occurs due to the entry of pathogenic microorganisms into the uterus.

How do you know that everything went well and what are the preventive measures? As long as the discharge lasts after the vacuum, and usually this is up to 1 week, you cannot be sexually active, take a bath, and you must carefully observe personal hygiene. But you cannot use sanitary tampons or douche. Brown discharge after vacuum aspiration is replaced by bloody discharge on days 3-4, and sometimes earlier. This is fine. However, the daubing should not drag on too long.

Also indicators that everything is fine are normal body temperature, well-being, and absence of pain.

What kind of discharge should be normal after a mini-abortion, what about the abundance, color, smell? Similar to normal menstruation, and with termination of pregnancy at a short term, a carefully performed procedure and good contractility of the uterus - even with moderate menstruation. As a rule, discharge after curettage, a surgical type of termination of pregnancy, is much more abundant and more often turns into uncontrolled uterine bleeding.
You need to see a doctor if you have to change the pads once every 1-2 hours. This is severe bleeding that can be life threatening if it continues for a long time.

It’s bad if the bloody discharge after a mini-abortion (vacuum aspiration) has an unpleasant odor. This happens when harmful bacteria and fungi multiply in the genitals. To avoid this, doctors prescribe antibiotics after an abortion. This serves as a prevention against bacterial vaginosis. And in parallel with antibiotics, an antifungal drug (with the active ingredient fluconazole) is taken orally, it is taken at the beginning of antibiotic therapy and at the end. In this way, vaginal candidiasis (thrush), which often appears during antibacterial therapy, is prevented.

The concept of vacuum aspiration of the uterine cavity implies a medical intervention that allows you to remove contents from the uterine cavity by creating negative pressure. Most often, this procedure is performed for artificial termination of pregnancy in the early stages (up to the 6th week). Otherwise, vacuum aspiration is called a mini-abortion.

Mini-abortion is considered a safer way to terminate a pregnancy. When used, the likelihood of injury to the uterus and the occurrence of infectious diseases is significantly reduced.

In addition, this procedure causes bleeding much less often. Another advantage of vacuum aspiration is the absence of pain during its implementation, which eliminates the need for pain relief. It is performed on an outpatient basis.

However, vacuum aspiration of the uterine cavity is carried out not only as an abortion. She has other goals too.

What is it used for?

The main purpose of vacuum aspiration is to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. But besides this, it is used to diagnose and eliminate some gynecological problems.

Features of preparation and implementation, consequences

Before vacuum aspiration, it is necessary to undergo the following types of tests:

Also, before performing it, the doctor must make sure that there are no contraindications, the main of which are genital tract infections. At the beginning of vacuum aspiration, antiseptic treatment of the external genitalia is performed. Access is provided using gynecological speculum.

The cervix should be treated with a disinfectant. Local anesthesia may sometimes be required, although it is often avoided. After this, a catheter is inserted, which must be slowly rotated in a circle. Under the influence of negative pressure created by a vacuum device, the contents of the uterine cavity come out.

The operation takes about 10 minutes. The doctor should monitor how the aspirate comes out, and as soon as it stops being released, the procedure can be considered complete. After 2 weeks, it is advisable to come for an examination.

Among the main advantages of this medical effect are:

• the possibility of carrying it out on an outpatient basis;
• absence of cervical injuries;
• rapid healing of the uterine cavity;
• the appearance of only minor deviations in hormonal levels and the menstrual cycle.

This intervention is considered one of the safest, since there is minimal risk of injury when performing it. However, vacuum aspiration can have complications. This:

• incomplete cleansing of the uterine cavity (possibly due to a narrow tip in the catheter, or in case of premature completion of the procedure);
• the occurrence of infectious diseases (occurs if the rules of implementation are not followed or the woman has infections);
• damage to the walls of the uterus (occurs if the intervention technique is not followed);
• bleeding.

The likelihood of these complications is very low, but you should carefully monitor your condition after the procedure. Any negative effects should be reported to your doctor.

Women who terminate a pregnancy in this way are often interested in how great the risk of remaining infertile after this operation is. According to recorded cases, it can be said that infertility after vacuum aspiration develops very rarely.

It is usually caused by postoperative complications. Most often, reproductive function is preserved, since this method is considered one of the safest.

For a further successful pregnancy, you should follow your doctor’s recommendations and be careful in the first few weeks after surgery. If you undergo the necessary restorative procedures (strengthen the immune system, take a course of antibiotics, normalize hormonal levels and the menstrual cycle), then there will be no difficulties with conception and pregnancy.

However, this does not mean that vacuum aspiration can be done countless times, because the body’s resources are not limitless.