u/and-thats-the-truth

I recently posted about my concerns that my previous surgeon was referring me to specific excision specialists because she’s Catholic.  Well, now I know for sure.

At a follow-up appointment to discuss my recurring/rapidly growing endometriomas and next steps for hormone testing, I asked my doctor to talk me through all of my options to treat my stage 4 endo while preserving fertility if possible.  She said that if I explored fertility treatments like IVF, it would be like putting 40 babies in the freezer and then 39 babies in the trash, and babies should be conceived only in a passionate act of love between a man and a woman. WTF.

And when I said I’m not Catholic, don’t share those beliefs / morals, and am searching for treatment plans grounded in science, she said she only referred me to napro surgeons because non-napro (non-Catholic) surgeons don’t take their time, they’ll just take out my organs and stitch me back up.

At the end of the appointment, as I sat in the chair and cried about the pain I’ve been in for months, asking her for other pain relief methods while I wait for consultation with a different excision specialist, she stood over me and said God is in control. And told me to take melatonin.

This entire thing is wild. This doctor has managed my care for 1.5 years, including operating on me and diagnosing me with endo. I hate knowing that my care has been influenced by her religion the whole time, without her disclosing her limited recommendations. This shit should be illegal.

EDIT: Her name is Dr. Anh-Van Mai. She’s currently in the New Orleans area and has previously worked in Texas.

TLDR: My last surgeon left a lot of endo behind and referred me to a pro-life, anti-birth control, anti-IVF Catholic surgeon. Is a napro excision specialist better than a non-napro excision specialist?
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Hey y’all, I’m seeking some advice as I search for an excision specialist. About a year ago, I had surgery to remove 2 uterine fibroids, 2 ovarian cysts, and suspected endometriosis. The only symptom I recognized prior to surgery was very heavy periods, and the only reason my doctor suspected endometriosis was a possible endometrioma.

After surgery, my surgeon confirmed that I have stage 4 endo. Both ovaries were adhered to the uterine fundus, rectum and bilateral side wall. Right ovary was adhered to ascending colon. Anterior cul de sac with endometriosis implants around the bladder. Posterior cul de sac was not able to visualized. The surgeon removed the fibroids and cysts, and freed up my kissing ovaries from each other and my uterus. She did not remove the sidewall adhesions, implants around the bladder, or adhesions involving rectum and ascending colon — due to lack of expertise and lack of additional surgeons who specialize in those areas. I had symptom relief for several months, and my husband and I started TTC, knowing that I’d likely need surgery in the future.

7 months post-op, I began having moderate to severe daily pain near my right ovary. An ultrasound showed 3 new ovarian cysts (2 right, 1 left), suspected endometriomas. Due to the daily pain, adhesions, and my husband’s and my fertility goals (we are 35), I asked my surgeon for a referral to an excision specialist. She recommended naprotechnology, claiming the Creighton model would reveal additional hormone details for more holistic treatment of the root causes, and that a napro surgeon takes additional steps to prevent recurrence of adhesions. I’ve been Creighton charting since early August and scheduled a consultation with a napro surgeon at her earliest available, late November. She’s out of state because there are no napro surgeons in my state. But I’m a bit thrown off by the religious influences of napro — the practitioners are Catholic, the Creighton lessons are at a “pro-life” center, and the out-of-state surgeon does not prescribe birth control or suggest interventions like IVF for any reason. I’m not Catholic, pro-choice, and pro-whatever research-backed interventions will improve my quality of life and support fertility if possible.

I’ve just scheduled another consultation in mid-November with a non-napro excision specialist in state. I plan to go to both consultations but am also seeking advice from this community. Does anyone have experience with napro surgeons vs. non-napro surgeons? Are there real advantages of napro for patients who don’t have those religious constraints?