ABOUT THE ABORTION PROCEDURE
Second trimester abortions are performed between 13.5 to 21.5 weeks of pregnancy and require from two (2) to three (3) consecutive clinic visits.
ON THE DAY OF YOUR SURGERY APPOINTMENT
- If you are being seen at our Long Beach office, you should be prepared to stay from 3 to 6 hours on your surgery day.
- BE SURE to arrange to have someone drive you home.
- Please do not bring children to the clinic.
- DO NOT EAT, DRINK OR SMOKE AFTER MIDNIGHT THE NIGHT BEFORE YOUR SURGERY APPOINTMENT TIME. THIS INCLUDES GUM, CANDY WATER, ETC.
- Do not wear any jewelry, including earrings, bracelets, rings, etc. All body piercing jewelry must be removed. Do not bring any valuables or a large amount of cash.
- The fee you paid at the time of your first-day visit includes: COUNSELING, PREGNANCY TESTING, ULTRA SOUND, LABORATORY, RHOGAM (IF REQUIRED), INSERTION VISITS, SURGERY, MEDICATIONS GIVEN ON THE DAY OF SURGERY, POST-OPERATIVE MEDICATIONS, AND POST OPERATIVE CARE.
ABOUT YOUR FIRST-DAY VISIT
- Plan to spend from two to three hours at the clinic.
- Please do not bring children. You may drive yourself to and from the clinic facility on the days of your insertions. However, the day of your surgery you must arrange to have someone drive you home. It is very important that you have something to eat prior to coming in for your insertion. DO NOT EAT OR DRINK anything after midnight the day before your surgery.
When you arrive for your appointment, you will be asked to complete medical history and consent forms. An ultrasound will be performed to determine the length of gestation. If a recent ultrasound has already been performed at another FPA location, you will meet with a counselor to discuss your procedure, medical history, and both pre-operative and post-operative instructions. The counselor will assist you with any additional paperwork. Financial responsibility will be discussed at that time. After you have changed into a gown provided by the clinic, your vital signs will be taken. The laboratory technician will draw a sample of blood to determine your iron level and RH factor. You will be escorted to the treatment room where the practitioner will insert cervical dilators. After the insertion, the vaginal canal will be packed with sterile gauze which has been soaked in betadine (aneseptic solution) to keep cervical dilators in place and to prevent infection.
The fee you pay must be in the form of a money order, cashier's check, travelers' check, or Visa/MasterCard/Discover card. We do not accept personal checks. If you use a credit card, the person whose name is on the card must be present to sign for charges.
If you are referred by a health plan, please bring your referral authorization and I.D. care (Kaiser, Cigna, etc.) and a photo I.D. Medi-Cal patients must have the current month's Medi-Cal card and a photo I.D.
If you are using your private health insurance, please tell us at the time you make your appointment, so that we may try to verify your insurance coverage before your first scheduled appointment.
AFTER YOUR INSERTION
You will be escorted from the treatment room to the discharge area. The discharge nurse will give you post insertion instructions and medications.
WHEN YOU ARE READY TO GO HOME
The discharge nurse will give you an appointment time for your next day insertion or surgery. You will receive an instruction sheet that will include telephone numbers that you can call 24 hours a day if you have any questions or problems after you leave the clinic.
THE D&E PROCEDURE
When your paperwork, counseling, vital signs, ultrasound and laboratory work are completed, you will be assisted to the treatment area. After review of your medical history and a physical examination, a clinician will insert sterile cervical dilators (Laminaria) into the cervix. The dilators will remain overnight causing the cervix to soften and dilate. The discharge nurse will give you further instructions and an opportunity to ask questions. As the cervix dilates, you may or may not experience abdominal cramping.
If you are having a two-day (2) dilation and extraction procedure, you will return the following day for your surgery.
If you are having a three-day (3) dilation and extraction procedure, you will return the second day for reinsertion of Laminaria. On the second day, you will check in with the receptionist and be escorted to the treatment area. A clinician will remove the Laminaria inserted the first day and insert additional Laminaria into the cervix to further increase its dilation. The discharge nurse will give you additional instructions before you go home.
The third day you will return to the clinic/hospital for your surgery. A general anesthetic will be administered, and a licensed medical doctor specializing in gynecology will perform the surgery.
