Terms of medical abortion, complications after the procedure

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Medicated abortion is a relatively new method of performing an abortion, which began to be used in Russia about 5 years ago. Attempts have been made for a long time to find a non-invasive method for dealing with unwanted pregnancy, and it was found in this form.

What is medical abortion based on?

The method is based on taking drugs in the form of tablets that disrupt the nutrition of the fetus and then cause it to be rejected. Abortion occurs in several stages, which will be discussed below.

Mifepristone is used as the active substance of the abortion drug at the first stage, which is taken at a dosage of 600 mg. You can also meet him in the form of "Mifegin", "Pencrofton".

When a medical abortion is performed, the second stage drugs must be taken within one and a half to two days after the first remedy. They can be in tablet form or used as a vaginal suppository. This is a drug from the groupprostaglandins (usually misoprostol), which triggers a miscarriage-like process. Thus, the terms of medical termination of pregnancy do not exceed 3-4 days, plus an additional several weeks may take a recovery period.

Despite the fact that Mifepristone has been used recently in Russia, it has been known abroad since 1988, and the drugs of the second group - even earlier, from the middle of the 20th century. Only these medicines have proven their effectiveness in numerous tests and in the process of application.

Mechanism of action of abortion drugs

As you know, after the onset of pregnancy in a woman's body, the hormonal background changes: the concentration of a hormone aimed at preserving the fetus increases. This hormone in the first trimester of pregnancy is progesterone. It helps to increase the volume of uterine mucosal tissue so that the fetus can receive all the nutrients from the mother before the placenta is formed.

The drug "Mifegin" ("Mifepristone") causes a slowdown in the growth of the endometrium, which disrupts the nutrition of the fetus. A decrease in the concentration of progesterone allows you to increase the role of oxytocin, which causes uterine contraction. At the second stage, prostaglandins contribute to this process, and then the rejection of the fetus occurs.

Conditions for pharmaceutical abortion

There are several prerequisites for such an abortion. First of all, the timing of drug interruption is important.pregnancy. This is possible within 49 days from the last menstruation. Some sources indicate a period of 63 days, it depends on the clinic in which the procedure takes place.

When diagnosing an unwanted early pregnancy, termination by the most gentle method with the help of medications is best done for up to 4 weeks, since the fetus is not yet firmly implanted in the uterine cavity. This means that bleeding after fetal rejection in this case will be minimal.

Where can I have a farm abortion?

Despite the fact that the process of getting rid of pregnancy does not involve surgery, this procedure is associated with certain risks. Therefore, buying a drug in a pharmacy and applying it at home will not work.

Where is medical abortion performed? To date, only in a medical institution. Termination of pregnancy clinics are carried out under the close supervision of staff in order to be able to detect complications at the earliest possible stage. Observation takes place within a few hours after the procedure, then the patient returns after a few days, and after 2 weeks, a control ultrasound is performed to exclude the continuation of the pregnancy.

In order to carry out medical abortion, the clinic must have a certificate with permission to use mifepristone. Only this substance is used to perform the pharmaceutical abortion procedure, which must be clarified when searching for a suitableconsultation.

Cost of procedure

Medicated abortion, the price of which is largely determined by the cost of the drug, does not belong to the category of budgetary procedures. Since taking two tablets is enough to achieve the result, the simplicity of the method allows you to set the appropriate price (from 7 thousand rubles and more).

The cost of the drug is added to the cost of the hospital stay, as well as the use of materials and the cost of the working time of he alth workers.

The final price is also influenced by the psychological factor, because the absence of interference gives inner comfort, for which many are willing to pay extra.

At the same time, medical abortion, which costs more than vacuum aspiration or curettage of the uterine cavity, is a fairly affordable procedure for the general population.

Possible complications after medical abortion

Although the timing of medical termination of pregnancy can avoid many unpleasant consequences, there are certain risks associated with the procedure.

The effectiveness of the method is 95%, that is, there is a chance that 5% of the pregnancy will continue.

Medicated abortion, in which the fetus detaches from the uterine wall, causes bleeding (usually not too much), but there is a risk of massive blood loss. Discharge can be prolonged, accompanied by pain in the uterus, intoxication (fever, chills, nausea).

If you follow the technique of phased pill intake, the likelihood of achieving the desired effect increases, but none of the existing methods gives a 100% result.

Contraindications

Pharmaceutical abortion is not possible if there is an allergic reaction to the components of the drug, with poor blood clotting, the presence of diseases of the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Even in the presence of an early pregnancy, abortion with pills is not possible if previous operations on the uterus have been performed. Scars are very likely to disrupt the process of rejection of the fetus, that is, subsequent curettage of the cavity may be required.

If you have asthma and kidney failure, your doctor may also prohibit this method of terminating a pregnancy.

Because the drugs are hormonal in nature, protection with hormonal contraceptives can significantly reduce the effectiveness of such drugs, so this factor is a contraindication for abortion with mifepristone and its derivatives.

Medicated abortion is also not performed in case of ectopic pregnancy, so the procedure is preceded by an examination.

Pre-abortion screening

The dosage of the drug for termination of pregnancy is designed for a he althy body of a woman of a normosthenic type of figure, therefore, before the procedure, the patient takes blood tests, a swab for flora, and undergoes an ultrasound examination. This allows you to determine the level of general he alth, set the exactgestational age, identify possible contraindications for abortion.

It is not necessary to choose a separate day for the examination, all services can be performed in one day. The examination also includes familiarization with the instructions for the drug, signing documents on consent to the procedure.

Woman is warned that the pregnancy may be maintained, and if the fetus persists after 2 weeks, other methods will need to be used. Next in terms of danger are vacuum aspiration (up to 6 weeks of conception) and curettage (up to 12 weeks). The terms of medical abortion and vacuum aspiration are almost the same, but the risk to a woman's he alth in the second case is much higher.

After a medical abortion, you should avoid physical exertion, baths and trips to the bath and sauna, avoid sexual contact for 2 weeks after the procedure, and douching.