A comparative study of cost of care and duration of management for first-trimester abortion with manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) and sharp curettage.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared the hospital charges, duration of in-hospital procedures, clinical course and complications between manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) and sharp curettage.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted during the May 2007-April 2008 period in Songklanagarind Hospital, Thailand. Forty cases of pregnancy ≤9 weeks of gestation, with conditions of an incomplete abortion, a blighted ovum or missed abortion were treated with either MVA or sharp curettage. Both groups were compared in terms of demographic and obstetric data, hospitalization cost, clinical course and complications.

RESULTS: The obstetric data of both groups showed that the median parity was two, with a median gestation age of 8 weeks. The median total hospital expenditure was 54.67 USD for patients using the MVA technique and 153.97 USD for the sharp curettage group (p < 0.01). The median duration of in-hospital care in the MVA group was significantly less than that of the sharp curettage group, 4 versus 20 h, respectively (p < 0.01). 90 % of patients in the MVA group had only one visit compared with 72.5 % in the sharp curettage group (p = 0.04). No complications needing further curettage or treatment in either group were noted.

CONCLUSION: The use of MVA in the management of a first-trimester abortion is practical, safe, cheap and time-saving.