The Difference Between a Medical and Surgical Abortion

January 31, 2025

An abortion may end a pregnancy, but the risks and side effects vary greatly.  The two main types of abortions performed in the first trimester are a surgical abortion and the medical abortion.

Medical Abortion

The most common method is the abortion pill, or medical abortion.  First, for the health and safety of the woman, the pregnancy needs to be confirmed with a pregnancy test and ultrasound.

The pregnancy must be in the uterus for the drugs to work.  Mifepristone stops the embryo or fetus from growing and separates it from the uterus.

Then hours or days later, misoprostol is taken which causes the uterus to contract and empty.  The pills only work as an abortion if there is a progressing pregnancy in the uterus.

Problems with the Abortion Pill

There can be issues with the abortion pill. The pills are only approved by the FDA for up to 10 weeks gestational age, and some women don’t know exactly how far along they are.

If bought online, they could be fake.  They could be something else, or the dose may be incorrect, causing complications like bleeding.

When pills are purchased online, there may be no one to go to if problems come up.

Even when the abortion pills are given under physician supervision, the failure rate is almost 10% that needs to have a surgical procedure to remove the rest of the tissue.

Surgical Abortion

The surgical abortion can be either suction aspiration or dilation and curettage (D&C).  Both are performed by health professionals in a clinical setting.

First the cervix must be opened. This process can include either drugs or metal tools.  Then suction empties the uterus.

If needed, a large looped shaped knife, known as a curette, scrapes the fetus and placenta away from the lining, and then it may be suctioned again.

This procedure, like the abortion pill, should not be done without first confirming there is a progressing pregnancy in the uterus.

Risks for Surgical Abortion

The risks and side effects are similar to the abortion pill, but also include risks caused by using sharp tools.  There can be damage to the cervix from forced dilation, scarring to the lining of the uterus, and possible puncture of the uterus.  If scar tissue results, it could cause miscarriages in the future.

Remember the only real choice is an informed choice.  Contact us today for free pre-abortion testing that includes a pregnancy test and the ultrasound you need.

References

Freeman C, Rodríguez S. The chemical geographies of misoprostol: Spatializing abortion access from the biochemical to the global. Ann Am Assoc Geogr. 2024 Jan 2;114(1):123-138. doi: 10.1080/24694452.2023.2242453. Epub 2023 Sep 27. PMID: 38204958; PMCID: PMC7615505.

Medical Abortion (Abortion Pill): What to Know. Retrieved September 25, 2024 from https://www.webmd.com/women/abortion-pill-medical-abortion-overview Mifepristone.  Retrieved September 25, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557612/

Mifepristone:  Side Effects, Interactions, Warnings and More. Retrieved September 25, 2024 https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/drugs/in-mifepristone/in-mifepristone Misoprostol:  Uses, Dosage, Side Effects & Warnings. Retrieved September 25, 2024 https://www.Drugs.com/misoprostol.html

Research, C. for D. E. and. (2023). Information about Mifepristone for Medical Termination of Pregnancy Through Ten Weeks Gestation. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/information-about-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy through-ten-weeks-gestationWhat Are the Types of Abortion Procedures? Retrieved September 25, 2024 from https://www.webmd.com/women/abortion-procedures

Zhang J, Zhou K, Shan D, Luo X. Medical methods for first trimester abortion. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 May 24;5(5):CD002855. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002855.pub5. PMID: 35608608; PMCID: PMC9128719.