The following is an incomplete list by memory of complications that I have seen from legal abortions. Please keep in mind that abortionists are very careful not to have patients referred to pro-life physicians for complications, and therefore, I am sure that many, many more cases are seen by those doctors who are on their referral lists.
I have treated or reviewed records from the following complications:
1. Retained products [parts of human fetus] with infection resulting in hysterectomy [surgical removal of female organs].
2. Retained products requiring D&C and antibiotic therapy [due to infection].
3. Late second trimester or early third trimester rupture of membranes due to instrumentation at an abortion center resulting in intrauterine fetal demise secondary to infection.
4. Hepatitis contracted after abortion.
5. Ectopic pregnancy after abortion resulting in adolescent’s death.
6. Retained products of conception resulting in passage of fetus several days after the attempted abortion procedure [i.e. mother had to deliver her aborted *”young one” at home]
7. Uterine perforation [tearing] resulting in bowel injury requiring major surgery, bowel resection and long term gastro-intestinal debility in the patient.
8. An RH negative patient who failed to be given rhogam prophylaxis after the abortion procedure due to error in their blood typing. [Subsequent children, if RH +, would be in serious danger]
9. Post abortion infection resulting from the patient being put out on the street without transportation who was sexually assaulted the day of her abortion procedure.
10. Amputation of fetal limb with survival and delivery of fetus at term. (This was a case that was presented at the Armed Forces division of the American College of OB/GYN in 1973.)
*The word “fetus” is Latin meaning “young one”
C. Paul Perry, M.D.
[written in the late 1980’s]