Anesthesia

At Women’s Health Services we have always believed that all patients deserve access to the full spectrum of anesthesia options, and we have provided it at no extra cost.

In addition, WHS is one of only two non-hospital facilities in MA, and the only non-hospital facility in all of ME, NH, VT, and RI that offers the option to be fully asleep and performs abortions up to 25 weeks. WHS provides hospital-level care at rates that are exponentially lower than hospital costs and include anesthesia. 

Full sedation

Most of our patients opt to have their procedures under full sedation using propofol, meaning they are asleep and don’t see or hear anything during the procedure. Propofol is a fast-acting sedative that helps you stay relaxed and comfortable during your procedure. It is given through an IV and takes effect within minutes, so you drift off almost immediately. Just as importantly, it wears off quickly once your procedure is over.

During sedation, you breathe on your own without needing a breathing tube. Your care team monitors your heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen level, and breathing the entire time; you’re never left unattended.

Because propofol leaves your system so quickly, recovery is typically fast. Most patients wake within minutes and are ready to go home less than an hour after the procedure. You’ll need a responsible adult to drive you home and should avoid driving or making important decisions for the rest of the day.

Conscious Sedation

Conscious sedation (also called moderate sedation) uses a combination of two medications, midazolam and fentanyl, to keep you relaxed and comfortable during your procedure. Midazolam helps ease anxiety and often leaves patients with little or no memory of the procedure, while fentanyl provides pain relief. Both are given through an IV and begin working within a few minutes.

Unlike full sedation or general anesthesia, you remain in a relaxed, drowsy state and can still respond to your care team’s voice and instructions. You breathe on your own the entire time, and your team continuously monitors your heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen level, and breathing to keep you safe.

Recovery is gradual and gentle. Most patients are awake and ready to leave within an hour or so after the procedure, though you may feel sleepy for several hours afterward. You’ll need a responsible adult to drive you home, and you should avoid driving, alcohol, and important decisions for the rest of the day (or 24 hours, per your provider’s instructions).

Local anesthesia

Some patients choose to have an in-clinic abortion with local anesthesia only, meaning without any medications that alter consciousness. An IV is placed so you can receive medication for cramping as well as a medication for nausea. Your provider injects the area around the cervix with a local anesthetic. The numbing medicine takes effect within a few minutes, and while most patients still some feel pressure and cramping during the procedure, it improves immediately once the procedure ends. The procedure itself is brief, typically about 5 to 10 minutes. Because you stay awake, you can talk with your care team throughout, ask questions, and let them know how you’re feeling. 

The amount of pain patients experience during a procedure with local anesthesia varies significantly; some describe it as crampy and uncomfortable; others experience significant pain. Pain experience depends on many individual factors. 

Most patients who receive local anesthesia are able to go home shortly after the procedure. Cramping similar to menstrual cramps is common afterward and usually eases with over-the-counter pain relievers. Because you haven’t received sedating medication, you may not need someone to drive you home, though many patients like to have someone along for support.