Manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) – how acceptable is it for patients? Patient satisfaction survey in a large UK unit.

Abstract

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust offers a comprehensive pregnancy advice service, offering surgical and medical terminations of pregnancy (STOPs and MTOPs) up to 14 weeks gestation locally, with outpatient TOPs carried out under local anaesthetic (LA) up to and including 10 weeks plus 6 days gestational age. The unit is a busy one and provide specialist training in all contemporary methods of uterine evacuation. It also includes contraceptives, sexual health risk assessment and screening, counsellors and support workers, and referral to other specialist services as required. Manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) is a good alternative for surgical termination of pregnancy (STOP) or evacuation of retained products of conception (ERPC). It is performed under local anaesthetic as an outpatient procedure by using a hand-held vacuum syringe. It is safe and effective in early pregnancy. The procedure is performed infrequently across the UK, with many units not offering it at all. Our study was devised in recognition of the reality that many patients opt for conventional aspiration due to the seeming general perception that MVA is a painful experience.