Surgical abortions by manual vacuum aspiration

At Willow Clinic we do MVA abortions using a small plastic tube and syringe. This is for early pregnancies less than 9 weeks since the first day of the last period or 7 weeks since conception. We use local anesthetic (freezing) and some painkillers like ibuprofen and oxycodone.

On your first visit, you will have an examination and ultrasound by a doctor and a counsellor will explain the procedure and medications used. You will have a blood test for hemoglobin and Rh. This visit may take up to 2 hours. You will need to pay $80-100 for the medications and blood test.

At the second visit, the doctor will put the freezing in your cervix and use suction from the syringe to empty your uterus. This takes about 5 minutes and you will feel cramping pains. Another ultrasound is done to make sure the uterus is empty. You will need to wait in the clinic until the staff have checked and made sure your are ready to go (about 20-30 minutes).

This procedure is very safe. There is less than 1% chance of infection or complications requiring a second procedure. There is about 1/100,000 chance of a serious reaction to the medications used or any damage to the uterus.

Surgical abortions at the other clinics in Vancouver are usually done with a vacuum machine and offer conscious sedation with IV drugs to control pain and anxiety. The other clinics have government funding and are free for BC residents.  See Resources and Links.