Dilation and evacuation
A dilation and evacuation involves two major steps. First, the cervix (the bottom part of the uterus) is dilated, or made bigger. This is often done about a day before the actual procedure. To dilate the cervix, a doctor may put special tools into the cervix. The cervix needs to be made larger so that medical tools, like forceps (surgical tongs) or a curette (a tool that is used to scrape away the lining of the uterus) can be put into the cervix.