Endometriosis misdiagnosis and surgery malpractice

Many Australian women and girls experience ongoing pain and face a multitude of barriers in getting the right medical support. The Bridging the Pain Gap report found that 90% of respondents experience pain for more than a year, with more than half of women living with pain daily.

There are many reasons why women and girls continue to experience untreated pain, sometimes for as long as decade before appropriate diagnosis. Unfortunately, this report found that women’s pain is often dismissed by healthcare workers with 71% of respondents saying they were “ignored, dismissed or had their pain minimised by health professionals.” Gendered bias and sexism currently exist within medical settings, making it difficult for women’s health concerns to be taken seriously.

What is endometriosis

Endometriosis is a medical condition that affects 1 in 7 Australian women. It’s a chronic, lifelong disease where the lining of the uterus (endometrium) begins to grow into other organs. Endometriosis is often accompanied by pain usually around menstruation. There is no cure for endometriosis, and treatment usually includes pain medication or invasive surgery to remove endometrium tissue.

Investigation into medically unnecessary endometriosis surgeries

According to a Four Corners investigation, Dr Simon Gordon allegedly performed surgery on patients despite having little or no trace of endometriosis. These surgeries were invasive and sometimes involved removing tissue and organs, even though medical records strongly suggest they were medically unnecessary.

In February 2026, Dr. Gordon surrendered his medical registration during investigation by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). When Dr. Gordon was practicing, he was a Melbourne gynecologist specialising in laparoscopic surgeries for endometriosis. Former patients raised concerns about the validity of their endometriosis diagnosis and whether their medical procedures were necessary. While this is an extreme example of alleged medical misdiagnosis, women and girls are more likely to be at risk when receiving medical care due to the lack of knowledge on women’s health issues.

Misdiagnosis and medical negligence

At Slater and Gordon, we speak to many women who develop worse or poor health outcomes because their medical conditions were undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or delayed in diagnosis because their reporting of pain to their medical practitioners was ignored or minimised.

Medical misdiagnosis happens when healthcare providers fail to appropriately assess patients which can lead to delayed treatment, no treatment, ongoing health problems or even death. For Dr. Gordon’s patients, not only were they potentially misdiagnosed, but many also say they received treatment that was inappropriate for their diagnosis. Not all medical misdiagnosis leads to medical negligence, but it can if healthcare professionals provide below minimum standard of care to their patients. This can include errors in treatment, diagnosis, and aftercare.