Manual Versus Electric Vacuum Aspiration for Early First-Trimester Abortion: A Controlled Study of Complication Rates
- 1 January 2004
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Vol. 103 (1), 101-107
- https://doi.org/10.1097/01.aog.0000109147.23082.25
Abstract
Manual vacuum aspiration is an alternative to electric suction curettage for first-trimester elective abortion. Although many studies have demonstrated that manual vacuum aspiration is safer than sharp curettage for abortion, only a few studies have directly compared it with electric suction curettage. These studies proved the methods to be equally effective and acceptable but were too small to adequately compare safety. We compared immediate complication rates for abortions performed by manual and electric vacuum aspiration. We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of all women undergoing elective abortion at up to 10 weeks' gestation at San Francisco General Hospital over a 3.5-year period. A total of 1726 procedures were included: 1002 manual and 724 electric vacuum aspirations. Clinical data were collected from medical records. Rates of uterine reaspiration and other immediate complications occurring at our institution were compared. We found no difference in the rate of uterine reaspiration after abortions performed with the manual or electric suction device (2.2% versus 1.7%, respectively, P =.43). We had 80% statistical power to detect a 2% difference in uterine reaspiration rates with an microa error of.05. Overall major complication rates were 2.5% with manual and 2.1% with electric suction curettage, P =.56. Multivariable regression analyses controlling for potential confounders showed no difference in uterine reaspiration rates (electric odds ratio [OR] = 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32, 1.6) or overall complications (electric OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.40, 1.7). Manual vacuum aspiration is as safe as electric suction curettage for abortions at up to 10 weeks' gestation. Expanded use in an office setting might increase abortion access.Keywords
This publication has 12 references indexed in Scilit:
- Acceptability of manual versus electric aspiration for first trimester abortion: a randomized trialContraception, 2003
- Abortion Incidence and Services in the United States in 2000Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2003
- Comparison of pain and time of procedures with two first-trimester abortion techniques performed by residents and facultyAmerican Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2001
- Morbidity of first trimester aspiration termination and the seniority of the surgeonHuman Reproduction, 2001
- Manual vacuum aspiration, a safe and effective alternative in early pregnancy terminationActa Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 2001
- Manual Vacuum Aspiration for First-Trimester AbortionArchives of Family Medicine, 1998
- New technologies permit safe abortion at less than six weeks' gestation and provide timely detection of ectopic gestationAmerican Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1997
- Early office termination of pregnancy by soft cannula vacuum aspirationAmerican Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1983
- MEASURES TO PREVENT CERVICAL INJURY DURING SUCTION CURETTAGE ABORTIONThe Lancet, 1983
- Vacuum aspiration with the IPAS Modified Gynecologic SyringeContraception, 1983