Partial-Birth abortions became illegal when the Supreme Court allowed a ban against them to stand. The court had previously ruled against the ban, and the law was sent back with minor changes after a new justice was confirmed. It was a very long battle to ban this type of abortion, which usually took place between 20 and 26 weeks. Here are some pictures of how these abortions were performed.
Prominent abortionist Dr. Martin Haskell, who performed the abortion Brenda watched, was asked about the diagram in an interview, and answered that it was “accurate from a technical point of view.”
(AMA- American Medical News July 5, 1993)
He describes partial-birth abortion this way:
“At this point, the right-handed surgeon slides the fingers of the left had [sic] along the back of the fetus and “hooks” the shoulders of the fetus with the index and ring fingers (palm down). Next he slides the tip of the middle finger along the spine towards the skull while applying traction to the shoulders and lower extremities. The middle finger lifts and pushes the anterior cervical lip out of the way.
While maintaining this tension, lifting the cervix and applying traction to the shoulders with the fingers of the left hand, the surgeon takes a pair of blunt curved Metzenbaum scissors in the right hand. He carefully advances the tip, curved down, along the spine and under his middle finger until he feels it contact the base of the skull under the tip of his middle finger.
Reassessing proper placement of the closed scissors tip and safe elevation of the cervix, the surgeon then forces the scissors into the base of the skull or into the foramen magnum. Having safely entered the skull, he spreads the scissors to enlarge the opening.
The surgeon removes the scissors and introduces the suction catheter into the hole and evacuates the skull contents. With the catheter still in place, he applies traction to the fetus, removing it completely from the patient.”
He then goes on to say that the procedure can be used essentially all the way to birth.
“The author is aware of one other surgeon [J McMahon, now deceased] who uses a conceptually similar technique…Coupled with other refinements and a slower operating time, he performs these procedures up to 32 weeks or more.”
Martin Haskell, M.D. “Dilation and Extraction for Late Second Trimester Abortion” Contained in National Abortion Federation “Second Trimester Abortion: From Every Angle.” Fall Risk Management Seminar, September 13-14, Dallas, Texas. Presentations, Bibliography and Related Materials. 1992
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