D&C vs D&E

Greenbean0906

Good morning ladies. Question. What is the difference between the two. My doctor/nurses keep using the terms interchangibly.  My appointment is scheduled for Monday. Blighted ovum found at 8wks if that info helps. I searched the message boards to try to find a similar post but couldn't find any. 

nevarloc

Hi, I'm no expert but I always thought a d&e was for a later term pregnancy, like 2nd trimester, with the E standing for evacuation. The d&c is C for curettage and involves more scrapping of the uterus where in the d&e, vacuum/pumping mechanisms are used. 

I would ask your doc for a more detailed explanation, though. 

holly321

I think I saw this on wikipedia last night, not sure.  But I think they try to do a d&e first, and if that doesn't work, they do the d&c.

smcjmk09

D&C is Dilation and Curettage (which is basically them "scraping" out the pregnancy tissue/lining).  D&E is Dilation and Evacuation (which is where they use suction to take out the tissue and lining).  I questioned my doc when he said I was having a D&E because I'd seen on here that most of the women were having D&C's.  He said, they're pretty interchangeable.

katharine25

smcjmk09:

D&C is Dilation and Curettage (which is basically them "scraping" out the pregnancy tissue/lining).  D&E is Dilation and Evacuation (which is where they use suction to take out the tissue and lining).  I questioned my doc when he said I was having a D&E because I'd seen on here that most of the women were having D&C's.  He said, they're pretty interchangeable.

This.

My dr. Said the "E" was neseccary for a missed miscarriage where the fetus has to be removed, where the "C" is used to removed leftover tissue.  I think additionally it has to due with how far along the baby's development was. If it made it past the embryonic stage, and nothing passes naturally, an evacuation is in order. 

holly321

I was going to add, my consents today said I was having a "d&c with suction" so I was assume I had a d&e.  I also would be 14 weeks tomorrow, and I have had very light spotting, so I hadn't really passed anything naturally.

Greenbean0906

Thank you so much for the responses. I asked my doctor to clarify the difference yesterday right before my procedure and he gave me an answer I've never heard. He said they use term D&E when pregnancy related and D&C when non-pregnancy related (for women who have intense heavy periods or older women who develop cysts in their uterus). Hmmm.....that's a new one.