PCOS

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS, is one cause of infertility. Among its many side effects are long and irregular cycles. Women suffering from PCOS frequently find themselves on drugs, or even undergoing IVF in order to get pregnant. Surgical NaPro Technology and the Creighton Model Fertilitycare™ System is another, less invasive, cheaper and more effective way for these women to overcome the disease.

When a woman’s ovaries are very large and contain multiple cysts, she has PCOS. The ovaries do not function well. Her cycles are long and irregular, and frequently she does not ovulate. This results in infertility.

First, let’s look at some of the ways that PCOS has been treated in the last 60 or so years. One method of treating PCOS is Ovarian Wedge Resection. In 1950, the pregnancy rate following this surgery was 66%. In the sixties, Clomid was introduced. Because this was seen as a better alternative, it became used more frequently, though it resulted in only a 30% pregnancy rate. When IVF became common after 1978, the rate dropped to 23%, although this is still a common way of treating PCOS.

Recently, though, more effective ways of treating PCOS have become available. Through the use of the Creighton Model Fertility care™ System, [CrMS], a woman can be taught to track her cycles through use of her own biomarkers, including mucus patterns and hormone levels. The longer cycles are less of a problem when it can be determined using this method when the woman is fertile and the couple can use the information to try and conceive. Also, there will be no guess work as to whether or not the woman did, indeed, ovulate.

Using the CrMS is a non-invasive way to deal with PCOS, but it may not always be effective. Sometimes, surgery may be necessary. The reason that Clomid and IVF were seen as “better” ways of treating PCOS than the Ovarian Wedge Resection had to do with adhesions. Pelvic adhesions can occur after any type of surgery in the pelvis. These adhesions can cause scar tissue that can cause chronic pelvic pain, or endometriosis, which can cause infertility all on its own.

Surgical NaProTechnology can be used to combat PCOS. This is a method of performing the Ovarian Wedge Resection in a way that does not cause adhesions. The pregnancy rates after use of this method of surgery to combat PCOS are much higher than either use of Clomid or IVF, and the long term effects are much less than the resection would have had in the 1950s.

Through the use of NaProTechnology and the CrMS, women who are suffering with PCOS have an alternative to the less effective ways of dealing with the syndrome. There are natural, non-invasive ways to help a woman learn her cycle, which she can use to determine when and if she is fertile. When surgery is needed, surgical NaProTechnology is a method of doing the surgery which does not leave adhesions as the older method did. If you have PCOS, please find a NaPro Technology practitioner who can help you to find out your options today.