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About That 'Dismemberment Abortion' Defense That Has Everyone Talking

How a dilation and evacuation works is that a woman's cervix is dilated, and then the fetus is taken out in pieces. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin described the procedure as "gruesome." But had she taken time to talk to a woman who had to have a D&E, she might realize that the women having these procedures and the doctors performing them aren't monsters—they are humans trying to make the best choice in bad circumstances.

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 D&E Abortion (Dilation and Evacuation)

Unlike during a D&C, the cervix is dilated slowly over a 1-2-day period. This allows complete access to the uterus, thereby limiting the likelihood of permanent injury.

Articles of Interest

D & E Procedure – The Safest Abortion Method for Second Trimester of Pregnancy

Having an abortion so late in the pregnancy can be very difficult for a woman. But if it is inevitable, you will have to go through it. There are a few things you should keep in mind to take care of yourself after undergoing a D&E procedure for your speedy recovery:

D&E Abortion Bans: The Implications of Banning the Most Common Second-Trimester Procedure

A D&E ban would compound other obstacles to abortion care. Research indicates that the vast majority of women obtaining an abortion during the second trimester would have preferred to have had it earlier. State abortion restrictions are one increasingly common reason women encounter delays receiving abortion care, and D&E bans must be considered in the context of such restrictions.

D&E better than labor induction for second-trimester abortion for fetal indications

“When faced with the difficult decision of aborting a pregnancy for fetal indications, women should be offered a choice of the best methods,” Dr. Bryant and colleagues advise. “When given this choice, most prefer D&E,” they note.

Dilation and Evacuation Animation

Dilation and Evacuation, or D&E, is the most frequently used method of abortion in the second trimester in many countries.

Dilation and evacuation for second-trimester genetic pregnancy termination

Dilation and evacuation (D&E) is the most common procedure for second-trimester pregnancy termination currently used by United States obstetrician-gynecologists. Although this method carries morbidity and mortality rates significantly lower than methods requiring labor induction, the procedure most commonly used for second-trimester genetic terminations seems to be labor induction (eg, vaginal prostaglandin suppositories). Many geneticists appear reluctant to recommend D&E over induction methods of pregnancy termination because they perceive that fetal abnormalities cannot be consistently confirmed by evaluation of the products of conception obtained by D&E.

Second-trimester pregnancy termination: Dilation and evacuation

The most common surgical technique for second-trimester termination in the United States is dilation and evacuation (D&E). Other surgical approaches include a variant of D&E called "intact D&E" and hysterotomy [3]. Hysterotomy is rarely used. These rare situations include when it is unsafe to dilate the cervix or induce labor, when no trained D&E provider is available, or when the patient has severe cervical stenosis or leiomyomas that completely obstruct the cervix and vagina.

Surgical Abortion (Second Trimester)

During the second trimester, 15 to 23 weeks after your last menstrual period, abortions are typically performed over a two-day period but don't require an overnight stay in the hospital. These procedures are known as dilation and evacuation (D&E).

What to Expect From a D&C or D&E

If you’re having either a D&E (dilation & evacuation) or D&C (dilation & curettage) procedure, it will be done in a hospital or other surgical center, and unless you undergo complications, you’ll most likely be able to go home that same day. Your doctor will probably suggest you get pain meds before the procedure, though a lot of women opt to undergo a general anesthetic and not be awake during it at all.

Resources

AbortionProcedures.com

A dilation (dilatation) and evacuation abortion, D&E, is a surgical abortion procedure during which an abortionist first dilates the woman’s cervix and then uses instruments to dismember and extract the baby from the uterus. The D&E abortion procedure is usually performed between thirteen and twenty-four weeks LMP (that is thirteen to twenty-four weeks after the first day of the woman’s last menstrual period).