FAQ

• What do I need to do before my operation?

You should have nothing to eat or drink, not even water, for 6 hours before your operation time. Plus it helps your recovery if you have a good night's sleep prior to your surgery.

You should bring your blood group card to the clinic as well as your Medicare card , centre link health card, health insurance details and referral letter if you have one. If you don't have a blood group card, the clinic will arrange for your blood group to be tested. You should also bring in any prescription medicines that you are taking.

If you are an international student, you will need to bring your passport with you.

If you have any serious medical problems such as diabetes, epilepsy , blood clotting problem or heart disease please advise our staff when you are making an appointment as you may require further treatment prior to your procedure.

• How do I look after myself after my operation?

It is important to rest for the day after your procedure. You should not drive a car until at least the following day. We recommend that you have a friend or relative take you home afterwards. The anaesthetic drugs may affect your judgment for the next 24 hours so you should not plan to do anything important such as exams or making major purchases.

To reduce the chance of infection we recommend you don't use tampons for the first two weeks after surgery.

• Will I bleed heavily?

Heavy bleeding is unusual. It is more likely if you do heavy lifting or strenuous exercise. It is also more likely if the pregnancy gestation is 10 weeks or more.

• Will I have much pain?

Most women have crampy period-like pain that responds to standard pain relieving treatments like paracetamol or anti-inflammatory medications such as Naprogesic.

Severe pain is rare and we recommend you see a doctor if you experience severe pain and the pain-relieving treatments don't work.

• Will this operation affect me when I want to have a baby in the future?

Having an early stage [ 12 weeks or less] abortion at a good quality centre has not been shown to affect your chance of conceiving later on when you are ready. Remember however for most women fertility does start to decrease from your mid-thirties onwards.