**Due to sterile conditions and out for respect for all patients, no
family members or friends will be allowed beyond the waiting room area,
at any time during the visit. This includes ultrasound, surgery, and
in the recovery room.
Registration
- Each patient will receive a registration packet to be filled out
prior to surgery. The information asked will include your name, address,
phone number, an emergency contact name and phone number, your complete
medical history, etc... Please be prepared to provide us with this
type of information. An abortion consent form is also given to you
at this time. You will need to read over it and sign the consent.
If there is anything you do not understand, we will go over it with
you in counseling.
Ultrasound
- An abdominal ultrasound will be done for each patient. The results
will provide us with a intrauterine gestation and the duration of
pregnancy. We do not offer prenatal ultrasounds at our center.
Lab
- In lab, vital signs are taken, a blood sample is drawn to determine
Rh factor as well as red blood cell level, and a urine sample will
be analyzed. Test results will be processed immediately. Rh-negative
patients will need an injection called Rhogam and will need to pay
an additional fee.
Payment
- Payment is due in full on the day of the procedure. We accept all
major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover)
and money orders/cashier’s checks. We do NOT accept personal
checks. At this time, we will also want to see a photo ID as well
as any other documents we asked you to bring when you made the appointment.
If you are going to be using pre-approved insurance then we would
need you to bring in your insurance card and maybe a signed claim
form.
Counseling
- The primary purpose of the counseling session is to completely explain
the procedure further, discuss your paperwork, and answer any questions
you may have. A health educator will discuss with you your medical
history and pregnancy history with you and have you sign all consent
forms. Also at this time, you should feel free to discuss your situation
with the health educator and present any questions or concerns you
may have about the procedure.
Change
for Surgery - The office staff will call you back after counseling
to change for surgery. You will be required to remove all clothing,
except for your T-shirt, bra, and socks, then put on a hospital gown.
All jewelry and contact lenses must be removed at this time.
Surgery
- Surgery will be done in a private surgical suite. An IV will be
put in your arm and the twilight anesthesia will be administered through
this IV. The procedure itself as described at the beginning of this
section will take less than 30 minutes. After the procedure, a nurse
will assist you into a wheel chair and take you to the recovery room.
Recovery
- You will be required to stay in the recovery room for at least one
hour. A Nurse will monitor your condition and periodically take your
vitals. You will be given some soda and crackers once you have been
in the recovery room and are stable, awake and alert. After one hour,
your condition will be assessed, you will be given discharge instructions
(home care and information about your prescriptions for medication),
and you will be released to the person waiting to give you a ride
home. Due to the anesthesia you should not drive for at least 24 hours
after the procedure so you must have someone drive you home.
Medication
- You will need to get prescriptions filled and start taking your
medication that same day.
Methergine is prescribed to help your uterus contract back to pre-pregnancy
state and minimize bleeding.
Tetracycline is an antibiotic prescribed to help you avoid infections.
Pain medication prescriptions are given in case you need them. We
recommend over the counter pain relief such as Ibuprofen or Tylenol.
If that does not relieve your cramping, then get the prescriptions
filled.
