The method of suction curettage, also known as "vacuum curettage" or "uterine aspiration” is today the safest and most commonly used medical technique for an early abortion. After a dilation of the cervix, a tube attached to a suction pump is inserted into the uterus. The pump, which operates on the same principle as a vacuum cleaner, sucks the embryo and the placenta out of the uterus through transparent tubes into a collection bottle. The entire operation takes only a few minutes