An Overview of CrMS and NaProTECHNOLOGY and an Introduction to Surgical NaProTECHNOLOGY

Lately, I’ve had a lot of friends, family members, coworkers, and clients ask about NaProTECHNOLOGY, and more specifically, how NaPro surgeries are different from other OBGYN/reproductive surgeries. There are many highly specialized, well-researched techniques that NaPro-trained providers use in surgery that result in better reproductive health outcomes for the patient compared to other reproductive health surgeries and interventions (namely IVF). Check out Daria’s recent post about NaPro as an approach to infertility for more information on this!

As a patient whose life has been changed by NaPro treatment, and as a Fertility Care Practitioner who refers clients to NaPro providers (check out my story Part 1 and Part 2 here if you’re curious), I think that all women and families should know about NaProTECHNOLOGY and how it offers true hope and healing to many women and couples struggling with reproductive health and fertility issues. This blog post is the first of many I plan to write about Surgical NaProTECHNOLOGY.

So let’s start at the beginning…what is NaProTECHNOLOGY anyway? NaProTECHNOLOGY (Natural Procreative Technology), as defined on naprotechnology.com, is a “women’s health science that monitors and maintains a woman’s reproductive and gynecological health…[providing] medical and surgical treatments that cooperate completely with the reproductive system.” It was developed about 34 years ago by Dr. Thomas Hilgers, MD, an OBGYN who is passionate about research, restorative reproductive medicine, and honoring the dignity of the human person. Together, him and his team at St. Louis University and Creighton University Schools of Medicine developed both the Creighton Model FertilityCare System (CrMS) and NaProTECHNOLOGY.

As many of our avid blog readers and/or clients already know, CrMS is a form of Natural Family Planning (NFP) in which a woman/couple can track their fertility and menstrual cycles under the supervision of a FertilityCare Practitioner. The system can be used to monitor fertility and reproductive health, and/or to achieve or avoid a pregnancy. The FertilityCare Practitioner (FCP) overseeing the client’s charting helps the client quickly gain confidence and accuracy in their charting through regular follow-ups, while also looking for certain underlying biomarkers in the woman’s chart that could indicate potential reproductive health problems. Some biomarkers we look for in charts include continuous mucus, limited mucus, abnormal bleeding (tail end brown bleeding, premenstrual spotting, mid-cycle bleeding), short or variable post-peak phases, bad cramps and abdominal pain, just to name a few. For a deeper dive into cycle abnormalities, check out Daria’s post about what’s normal vs what’s not normal for you cycles here.

If any of these abnormal biomarkers are seen, the FCP can then refer the client to a NaProTECHNOLOGY Medical Consultant (MC). MCs are Advanced Practice Providers (think Physician (Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (Nurse Practitioner (NP) or Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), or Physician Assistant (PA)) who have specialty training in in the management of women’s health issues (stated below) via either Medical and/or Surgical NaProTECHNOLOGY.

NaProTECHNOLOGY encompasses the medical and surgical interventions and treatment options used to discover and diagnose the root cause of reproductive health and fertility issues, and it aims to treat those problems in a way that truly restores a woman's reproductive health; it is a type of restorative reproductive medicine (RRM). Women struggling with infertility, menstrual cramps, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), ovarian cysts, irregular or abnormal bleeding, polycystic ovarian disease (PCOS/PCOD), repetitive miscarriage, postpartum depression, history of premature births, hormonal abnormalities, chronic discharges, all can benefit from NaPro evaluation and treatment.

Some people question the credibility, reliability, and effectiveness of RRM techniques, but that is usually due to a lack of knowledge of RRM and the research backing it. Rest assured - NaProTECHNOLOGY is an evidence-based, highly researched, and scientifically proven women’s health science. For more on this, check out Jenny’s recent post “Is NaPro Real Medicine?” here. 

Okay finally - let’s dive into the surgical applications of NaProTECHNOLOGY. Surgical NaProTECHNOLOGY is a “specialized form of gynecologic surgery whose primary aim is to reconstruct the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries in such a way that pelvic adhesive disease can be eliminated and not caused by the surgical procedure itself…in a sense, a “near-adhesion free” form of surgery,” as stated on the NaProTECHNOLOGY website. NaPro surgeons are trained in highly specialized pelvic surgeries, microsurgeries, and laser surgical applications, to name a few. Generally, these surgeries are performed differently by NaPro trained surgeons compared to non-NaPro trained surgeons, and are almost always associated with better outcomes and prognosis for the patient undergoing surgery. 

The majority of NaPro surgeries performed include “near contact” laparoscopy, endometriosis excision, ovarian wedge resection for polycystic ovaries, and selective hysterosalpingogram (HSG). When NaPro-trained surgeons perform these surgeries, they use highly-specialized techniques to prevent adhesions through multiple steps, which is a key to the better outcomes we see statistically proven with NaPro surgery. 

Now, I know this leaves you on a bit of a cliff hanger, but I promise - I have more information to share on this in the future. Stay tuned for more blog posts from me about Surgical NaProTECHNOLOGY coming soon! In the meantime, if you think you or a loved one might be a good candidate for receiving NaPro Medical and/or Surgical care after reading this post, please reach out to one of our practitioners at Groesbeck to get started charting your cycles. NaPro Medical consultants rely heavily on their patients’ updated and accurate Creighton charts to best time and target diagnostic evaluation and treatment, so CrMS charting with an FCP is the first place to start if you think you may benefit from NaPro care. May God bless you on your fertility journey!