Vacuum or suction aspiration is a procedure that uses a vacuum source to remove an embryo or fetus through the cervix. The procedure is performed to induce abortion, as a treatment for incomplete miscarriage or retained pregnancy tissue, or to obtain a sample of uterine lining (endometrial biopsy). It is generally safe, and serious complications rarely occur.
Some sources may use the terms dilation and evacuation or "suction" dilation and curettage to refer to vacuum aspiration, although those terms are normally used to refer to distinct procedures.
