Expert: Doctor Early Options - 12/28/2007

Question
Hello. I had my second abortion roughly two months ago. The first abortion went smoothly and so did this one, or at least so I am told. I had a dilation &curettage performed, and an ultrasound upon completion to see that everything was removed. My three week follow up went as planned, but now, two months later, I am having abdominal discomfort. I had this pain during pregnancy and I was told it might have been due to a corpeus luteal cyst that they found on my ovaries. The pain seems to have come back for whatever reason, me and my husband have been having sex but I have been on birth control religiously for the whole time, so I doubt that I am pregnant again. Its not a sharp pain, it feels more like a squeezing, heavy discomfort. It is quite uncomfortable. Could it be a perforation in my uterus? Everything else been normal, I have had a regular period, no excess bleeding, any of that. I do not want to discuss this with my regular obgyn and the hospital where I had my surgery is a pain to get to, so any insight at all would be appreciated. THanks.

Answer
Dear Jessica,
Pain 2 months after an abortion is very unlikely to be related to an abortion.  Take a pregnancy test to be 100% sure that it is negative.  If it is negative, you don't need to tell your gyn that you had an abortion.  
As far as complications from an abortion: Pain from perforation is immediate; pain from an infection due to an abortion or retained tissues is within days.  The pain you're experiencing could by an ovarian cyst or an infection not related to an abortion, or something else unrelated to the procedure.
I hope this is helpful,
Doctor Joan