A Melbourne surgeon is facing serious allegations of performing unnecessary surgeries on young women for endometriosis, with medical professionals and patients raising concerns about tissue and organ removal when pathology reports indicated little or no evidence of the disease. The findings stem from a seven-month investigation that has prompted a federal health minister to call for an inquiry and the hospital to initiate an external review of its clinical governance.
Gynaecologists who have reviewed patient records and pathology reports have stated that many of the surgeries performed by Dr. Simon Gordon were, in their professional opinion, unnecessary. In some instances, these procedures are alleged to have caused “more harm than good,” leading to severe pain and compromised fertility for the women involved.
Dr. Gordon was reportedly asked to take leave from Epworth Private Hospital in October, shortly after the hospital was informed of the investigation. He subsequently chose to retire from practice the following weekend.
Following notification of the allegations by the investigation, the Federal Health Minister, Mark Butler, described the claims as “sickening.” He has since contacted his Victorian counterpart, requesting that Safer Care Victoria conduct an inquiry into Epworth’s management of Dr. Gordon’s practice. The Victorian minister has indicated that her department is providing advice on potential further actions.
Epworth Private Hospital, Victoria’s largest private hospital, has also commissioned an independent external review into its clinical governance following the revelations.
Furthermore, Medicare is reportedly investigating Dr. Gordon’s billing practices. It is alleged that the laparoscopic surgeon repeatedly billed Medicare for item number 35641, which is designated for severe endometriosis, even in cases where pathology reports showed no or only mild signs of the disease. A significant number of the women interviewed for the investigation had undergone procedures billed under this item number.
Deep infiltrating endometriosis, a severe form of the disease, affects approximately 20 per cent of women with endometriosis. Gynaecologists consulted for this report indicated that they perform surgeries under item number 35641 only in rare circumstances.
“It goes without saying that these women have been let down by the system,” Mr. Butler stated, adding, “Our job now is to determine how we can ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Dr. Gordon, formerly one of Victoria’s busiest laparoscopic surgeons operating under the banner “Endo Health,” is accused of performing multiple consecutive surgeries on women whose pathology reports showed minimal or no endometriosis. These procedures allegedly included the removal of ovaries in some patients and a uterus in at least one case.
Over the past five years, clinicians and patients have lodged multiple complaints regarding Dr. Gordon’s practices with Epworth management, the medical regulator AHPRA, and Victoria’s Healthcare Complaints Commission. Despite these complaints, some women reportedly continued to undergo aggressive surgery with Dr. Gordon, even when pathology results indicated no endometriosis.
While Dr. Gordon has retired, AHPRA is continuing its investigation into his practice, seeking extensive patient files from Epworth.
Patient Accounts and Medical Opinions
The practices of Simon Gordon were reportedly an “open secret” within the Australian gynaecology community, with many gynaecologists expressing dismay. Professor Thierry Vancaillie, a specialist in the field since 1985, described reviewing patient files, photographs, and billing records as a “distressing” and “unbelievable” experience.
Mary Spanos’s Experience:
Mary Spanos underwent laparoscopic surgery with Dr. Gordon in 2020. She was billed, and Medicare was charged, for a major operation under an item number reserved for “severe” endometriosis.
- “Mum and I are both crying,” Mary recalled. “He’s saying, ‘It’s all confirmed. It was all endo. We got rid of it, so, she’s going to be amazing.'”
- However, Mary experienced persistent and excruciating pain following the surgery, to the point where she required a walking stick several months later.
- When she raised her concerns with Dr. Gordon, she described his response as dismissive.
- Upon obtaining her medical records, including histopathology results, Mary discovered that all five tissue samples sent for analysis showed “No endometriosis present.” Dr. Gordon’s own notes reportedly indicated “NIL” findings.
- Her previous surgery with another surgeon had shown only a trace of the disease.
- Mary stated she “absolutely” believed Dr. Gordon had lied to her and felt “disgusted” by the experience.
- Professor Vancaillie, who reviewed Mary’s case, concluded that the surgery was “totally unnecessary and caused more harm than good.” He noted that claims of “extensive” scarring were “totally imaginary.”
Jess Foster’s Ordeal:
Jess Foster was diagnosed with “deep infiltrating endometriosis” days after a 2019 surgery, despite pathology results from that surgery indicating no sign of the disease. She had previously tested positive for small amounts of endometriosis in a different procedure.
- “After I got out of the surgery, I woke up and it was instantly just this blinding pain,” Jess reported. She even asked nurses to end her life due to the intensity of the pain.
- Once a highly fit pole fitness instructor, Jess is now unable to exercise or work, suffers from debilitating pain, and is prescribed strong pain medication.
- “I can’t walk for more than five minutes without being in pain… I have barely any quality of life compared to what I had before,” she stated.
- Jess believes her life was “destroyed” by the surgery.
Courtney Paton’s Multiple Surgeries:
Courtney Paton underwent seven laparoscopies for “severe” endometriosis with Dr. Gordon, which ultimately led to the removal of both her ovaries and her uterus. Pathology results from multiple surgeries consistently showed no signs of endometriosis.
- One sample showed minuscule deposits consistent with “focal endometriosis,” which a reviewing gynaecologist deemed “probably clinically insignificant.”
- Professor Vancaillie found no justification for the removal of Courtney’s ovaries.
- Since Courtney’s story became public, her lawyer, Emily Hart, has been contacted by over 80 former patients. Ms. Hart noted that many of these women, often in their early twenties, were advised to have their ovaries or uterus removed, despite histopathology showing no evidence of endometriosis.
- Ms. Hart described the practices as going “beyond simple human error” and expressed concern that they were “swept under the carpet.”
Abbey Lewis’s Prevented Surgery:
Abbey Lewis, aged 21, was scheduled for her seventh procedure with Dr. Gordon in 2024, which involved the removal of an ovary. A fertility specialist intervened, advising that the removal was unnecessary.
- The specialist sought a second opinion from a professor of gynaecology at Epworth, who concurred that the ovary should not be removed. A complaint was lodged with Epworth’s director of medical services.
- Abbey ultimately followed the fertility specialist’s advice and did not have the ovary removed. She subsequently became pregnant, a pregnancy she attributes to retaining her ovary.
- Upon requesting her histopathology, with prompting from this investigation, Abbey discovered that her later surgeries showed no endometriosis present.
- Despite pathology results stating “no endometriosis is identified,” Dr. Gordon’s operation report indicated a diagnosis of “endometriosis” and “endo excised.”
Colleagues’ Concerns and Systemic Issues
Gynaecologists have voiced their concerns about Dr. Gordon’s practices. Dr. Shamitha Kathurusinghe noted seeing patients who had undergone ovary removal by Dr. Gordon, with no endometriosis found in their pathology. She stated this practice was “hugely different to how I would practise.”
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) has national guidelines recommending careful consideration before repeat laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis. Gynaecologist Desiree Yap noted receiving a “fairly constant trickle of patients” from Dr. Gordon over 15 years, many having had multiple laparoscopies.
- “There’s no evidence that repeated laparoscopies solve the problem,” Dr. Yap commented. “My philosophy is more ‘one and you’re done’.”
In September 2024, a professor of gynaecology and two other doctors lodged a complaint with AHPRA, urging the regulator to investigate the pathology of patients diagnosed with endometriosis who had no confirming pathology. The complaint highlighted that all listed patients had at least one ovary removed, and that removing ovaries from young women was outside standard practice except in rare cases like cancer.
Barriers to Speaking Up
Dr. Yap and Dr. Kathurusinghe suggested that fear of reprisal and a hierarchical medical community can hinder doctors from speaking out against poor practices.
- “Badmouthing your colleagues is generally not viewed very favourably,” Dr. Yap explained. Doctors often fear alienation from their peers and lack faith in reporting mechanisms.
- Dr. Kathurusinghe, a female surgeon in a male-dominated field, expressed fear of career-ending repercussions and isolation from colleagues for speaking up. She stated, “Yet I speak up today… because it is the right thing to do for the patients that cannot speak.”
Dr. Gordon’s Response and Epworth’s Actions
Simon Gordon declined an interview but issued a statement asserting that he “always acted ethically and responsibly” and performed surgery only when convinced it was in the patient’s best interest. He claimed to have no knowledge of complaints at Epworth and stated Medicare had never contacted him regarding billing. He emphasised his commitment to alleviating pain and restoring quality of life for female patients, a group he felt had been historically neglected.
Epworth HealthCare CEO Andrew Stripp acknowledged the distressing nature of the experiences described and expressed regret for any patient who felt harmed or unheard. He stated that Epworth takes clinical governance seriously and is commissioning an independent external review of its governance arrangements.
However, records indicate that Epworth was aware of multiple complaints regarding Dr. Gordon years before notifying AHPRA in October 2025, after the investigation commenced. Despite a clinician’s complaint in 2022 regarding ovary removal, which was escalated through multiple management levels, no complaint was made to AHPRA, and Dr. Gordon continued to operate at Epworth for three more years.
RANZCOG stated it was “deeply distressed” by the allegations and expressed “sincere regret to women who have experienced harm.” The college confirmed that Simon Gordon is no longer a member.
