Bowel Injury as a Complication of Induced Abortion: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Intestinal perforation is a rare complication of induced abortion. It is most commonly seen in countries in which abortions are performed by people without proper training and with improvised instruments. Bowel perforation occurs when the posterior vaginal wall or uterus is violated, allowing the instrument to pierce underlying structures. The ileum and sigmoid colon are the most commonly injured portions of bowel due to their anatomic location. A case is reported of a 17-year-old woman who sustained a perforation of her anterior rectal wall from an abortion in Haiti. The literature on this type of injury is reviewed as well as the surgical management of these injuries.