PURPOSE: to evaluate the prevalence of intrauterine adhesions after manual vacuum aspiration for the treatment of abortion. METHODS: a prospective, descriptive study, with group comparison was carried out between November 2000 and August 2001 on 80 women between 15 and 48 years old, admitted to a public hospital for abortion care. Manual vacuum aspiration consisted of extracting the uterine content by suction using a Karman syringe connected to plastic cannulas. Intrauterine adhesions were screened by hysteroscopy, performed 40-60 days after the aspiration. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher exact test, ANOVA and estimation of prevalence risk, when indicated. RESULTS: hysteroscopy identified intrauterine adhesions in 13 patients (prevalence = 16.3%), most of them of the mucosal type (9 of 13), minimal severity (11 of 13) and lateral location in the uterus (5 of 13). Adhesions were more frequent at a gestational age more than 8 weeks (24.4 vs 3.7%; prevalence risk of 6.6) as well as in missed abortion (41.7 vs 12.1% ; prevalence risk of 3.54). CONCLUSIONS: prevalence of intrauterine adhesions after manual vacuum aspiration was 16.3%. Missed abortion and advanced gestational age seem to be associated with the occurrence of adhesions.
Adhesions; Uterine diseases; Abortion; Vacuum curettage
