Lucia Cies, M.D.
435 St. Michael's Drive
Suite B-201
Santa Fe, NM 87505
(505) 983-1213
1-800-525-2207
Abortion Procedures
LUCIA CIES - MD
Providing a safe and caring environment for women considering abortion
Before the Abortion Procedure
Surgical Abortion Procedure
Medical (Non-Surgical) Abortion
Second Trimester Abortion
Aftercare
Emergency Services
Before the Abortion Procedure
Prior to you abortion, you will meet with a member of our staff who will help you prepare
for the procedure and remain with you during the procedure itself. The staff member is
trained to assist you with your decision and plan for your post-operative care.
You will have an appointment with Dr. Cies to discuss anything you need to before the
abortion. She will help you decide what relaxation techniques and/or medication will be
best to make your surgery safe and comfortable.
Spousal consent is not required. Parental consent is not required for a mature minor, but
for a women under 18 it is helpful to involved an adult relative or a friend.
Special regulations apply for minors with Medicaid or Presumptive Eligibility for
Medicaid; please ask our office for details if you are 17 or under.
The only lab test you must have before your first appointment is a pregnancy test. At our
office, routine preoperative tests are done for pregnancy,anemia,Rh factor, urine
abnormalities and vaginitis. Ultrasound is available for gestational age and pelvic
abnormalities.
If less than fifteen weeks has passed since your last period, all your appointments can be
scheduled on one day. If fifteen weeks or more has passed since your last period, you will
need appointments on 2 consecutive days. Call 923-1213 between 9am-5:30pm M-F for an
appointment.
Surgical Abortion Procedure
Dr. Cies has performed thousands of these procedures. Because of her extensive experience, doctors from all over northern N.M recommend her to women with gynecologic or medical problems which might complicate the abortion.
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Medical (non-surgical) Abortion
Mifeprex followed by misoprostol is 92-95% effective in ending pregnancy.
Mifeprex blocks a hormone needed to maintain pregnancy. When followed by another medicine,
misoprostol, Mifeprex ends the pregnancy.
Bleeding and cramping are a normal part of the process. You may experience bleeding
similiar to or than a heavy period and can expect bleeding or spotting for 9-16 days. In
some cases, women have severe bleeding and need to contact a doctor right away. Side
effects that may occur include nausea, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue
and back pain. You can take pain medicine to relieve discomfort.
Mifeprex is provided at our office. The "early option pill" can be taken only
during the first seven weeks past your period. You make three visits over a two week
period. At the first visit you receive the Medication Guide and counseling, and you sign a
statement that you have decided to end your pregnancy. Next, you need to take the
Mifeprex.
Two days later you use misoprostol to start your miscarriage. A follow-up visit 8-12 days
later is very important to check that the pregnancy has ended, because if it has not,
there is a chance that there may be birth defects. A few women who take Mifeprex will need
a surgical procedure to end the pregnancy or to stop heavy bleeding. For this reason we
recommend Mifeprex only if you can get to emergency care in less than 30 minutes.
If you are less than seven weeks past the first day of your last normal period, have a
positive pregnancy test, and you think you want to use Mifeprex, we recommend you read the
Medication Guide at www.earlyoptionpill.com.
Click on Mifeprex, then Medication Guide. Then call us at 983-1213 (or 1(800)525-2207
outside Santa Fe) to make your appointment for medical abortion.
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Second-Trimester Abortion
If more than 14 weeks has passed since your last normal period, the suction curettage
procedure requires more steps in order to safely end pregnancy. Extra time is required to
open or dilate the cervix enough. You will need to make appointments on two consecutive
days and make arrangements to spend the night in Santa Fe if you live more than 30 minutes
away. At your first appointment you will do an ultrasound to determine your exact
gestation. On the first day you will have laminaria, medically prepared seaweed stems,
inserted into your cervix which will expand and gently open the cervix. More laminaria are
added in the late afternoon the first day and early in the morning the second day so that
your cervix will have opened enough for the abortion on the second day. Second trimester
abortions can be done in the office till the 18th week of pregnancy.
Hospitalization is required for more advanced pregnancies with medical indications for
termination.
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Aftercare
Most patients leave the office less than an hour after the abortion is completed. You will need to arrange with someone to drive you home or take a cab; your pain medication may be slowly metabolized, so we recommend you do not drive until the next day. You will be given written instructions for your postoperative care with our specific recommendations and precautions. You will need to abstain from sex and avoid strenous activity for one week after a suction abortion, and three weeks after a medical abortion.
The vast majority of women we see have no postoperative problems. For that reason we do not require a post-op exam execept for medical (Mifeprex) abortions. If you have concerns or problems call us at 983-1213 or toll-free at 1(800)525-2207 so we can schedule a checkup. If you cannot come to Santa Fe for followup, call us so we can talk to your local physician or emergency facility to provide them with details of your care here and recommendations for followup.
Emergency Services
A nurse or staff member and a doctor are on call 24 hrs a day. You can reach us at any
time by calling 982-1213 or (888)549-5762.
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