Intact dilation and extraction (D&X, IDX, or intact D&E) is a surgical procedure that removes an intact fetus from the uterus. The procedure is used both after miscarriages and for abortions in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. In United States federal law, it is known as a partial-birth abortion, although this latter term is not an accepted medical term and is not used by abortion practitioners or the medical community at large.