The medical procedure known as dilation and curettage (D&C) is not used as commonly today as it has been in the past, but it still has an important place in gynecological medicine. Used for a variety of purposes, an important one is to assist women in managing a miscarriage.

Dr. Edward Lazarus, clinical assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, says D&C is a good choice for a woman who has experienced a miscarriage. It's safe, effective and can help shorten the whole sad process of a pregnancy coming to an end.

Dilation, quite simply, means to enlarge the opening of the uterus, and curettage means to scrape the tissue. Today, suction is used more commonly than scraping, as it's considered safer.

The D&C is an old procedure, says Dr. Lazarus, and has historically been one of the most common gynecological surgical procedures. "We still use D&C to assess abnormal bleeding in a gynecological patient, and to find polyps and cancer and all kinds of things," he says. "It's not used as commonly to manage a miscarriage as it used to be, because we have ways to do that now that are less invasive, but it's still a great option in many cases."

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.