Is it possible to have an outpatient uterus abortion?
The uterus abortion is a small gynaecological operation, which usually only takes about ten minutes and is performed either under local or general anaesthesia. In most cases, uterus scraping is an outpatient procedure, which means that the patient remains on the ward for a few hours after the operation for monitoring, but can usually go home the same day. However, whether an outpatient procedure can be performed depends on the patient’s age and concomitant diseases.
If there are severe cardiovascular diseases, if the patient is not stable enough for an outpatient procedure or if the treating physician suspects an increased intraoperative risk, a short inpatient stay is recommended. In most cases, patients then stay in hospital for one night and go home the next day. Another reason for in-patient admission is the patient’s express wish, if she fears that she will not be able to cope alone after the operation.
If complications such as heavy post-operative bleeding occur during or after the operation, hospital admission is also necessary. It is important to note that after a general anaesthetic you are not allowed to drive a car on your own for the next 24 hours, and that after the uterus is removed you should take it easy on your body for the next few days, do no sport and watch out for warning symptoms such as fever, severe pain, heavy bleeding or purulent discharge, and consult a doctor as soon as possible if any of the above symptoms occur.
