Dilation and evacuation
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Dilation and evacuation is the most common form of second trimester abortion. It is commonly referred to as a D&E.
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[edit] Usage
Approximately 11% of abortions are performed in the second trimester. In 2002, there were an estimated 142,000 second-trimester abortions in the United States.<ref>Guttmacher Institute: "Facts On Induced Abortion in the United States", May 2006. Accessed May 2006.</ref> The second trimester of pregnancy begins at 13 weeks gestation. For first-trimester and early second-trimester abortions, the pregnancy may be ended by vacuum aspiration alone (D&C abortion). Sometime in the second trimester, however, it becomes necessary to use instruments to help remove the fetus. This instrumental procedure is known as dilation and evacuation (D&E).
[edit] Description
The first step in a D&E is to dilate the cervix. This is often begun about a day before the surgical procedure. Enlarging the opening of the cervix enables surgical instruments such as a curette or forceps to be inserted into the uterus.
The second step is to remove the fetus. Either a local anesthetic or general anesthesia is given to the woman. Forceps are inserted into the uterus through the vagina and used to separate the fetus into pieces, which are removed one at a time. Lastly, vacuum aspiration is used to ensure no fetal tissue remains in the uterus (such tissue can cause serious infections in the woman). The pieces are also examined to check that the entire fetus was removed.
[edit] Variations
If the fetus is removed intact, the procedure is known medically as intact dilation and extraction or "intact D&X". Colloquially, intact D&X is known as "partial-birth abortion," though generally the laws prohibiting "partial birth abortion" are sufficiently broadly worded to include the D&E procedure as well.<ref>Stenberg v. Carhart: "Stenberg v. Carhart", June 2000. Accessed November 2006.</ref>
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