Dr Simon Gordon's alleged victims may have been preyed upon by an unscrupulous practitioner, but he was enabled by a misogynistic health system that requires an urgent and major overhaul. Managing editorMichelle Pinireports.

A RECENTFour Cornersexpos featured a prominent Melbourne surgeon whose alleged sickening surgical procedures left a trail of women with their insides butchered and lives shattered.

Long hailed as an endometriosis specialist, gynaecologist DrSimon Gordons horrific deeds are so harrowing they prompted Health Minister Mark Butler tostateabout the allegations:

The shocking violations to which this man allegedly subjected his victims include the removal of countless healthy organs, often viaoophorectomiesand hysterectomiesand intricate neurological procedures on patients, many under the age of 30 seemingly unsupported by histopathology results.

Of course, Gordons alleged serial abuse must be investigated and some level of justice served to his victims, but there is a broader story here.

How did this man proceed over so many years, maiminghundreds of victims, despite years of complaints from patients, nurses, pathologists and colleagues, launched with both Epworth Hospital and medical regulatorAHPRA?

How is it that the concerns of so many remained unchecked by the unofficial boys club protection racket within the upper echelons of this medical fraternity?

And it is not that his superiors at the Epworth and even the medical regulator were unaware. Thenumber of official complaints over some yearssuggests that the medical establishmentchoseto look the other way. Certainly, it isalleged'that appropriate action was not taken by the hospital.

Epworth Hospital, where Gordon worked for over 25 years, recentlyannouncedan "independentinquiry". However, given Epworths inaction prior to the Four Corners investigation and since it is conducting the inquiry, including choosing the people to lead it, and refusing to allow Gordons patients the opportunity to provide testimony, how independent this inquiry will be remains to be seen.

SYSTEMIC MISOGYNY

Then there is the matter of the nature of endometriosisitself, which is a medical condition predominantly affecting women. Though it is a chronic inflammatory condition where endometriosis tissue may be found on all organs, including non-reproductive organs, it is primarily linked with the female reproductive system, and has thus been minimised, if not outright ignored, by many (usually male) medical practitioners.

Over70 per cent of womenreportedly experience bias in the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions. With regard to endometriosis, symptoms are often relegated to "a bad period"or young girls being over-anxious and overly dramatic.

Indeed,illnesses common to womenare systematically ignored or misattributed as evidence of mental illness, deviant behaviour or a lack of self-care.

If you think this an exaggeration, consider that endometriosis is rarely diagnosed before an average of six to eight years. That means six to eight years of often debilitating pain for sufferers. There is no known cure, so little research, so little in the way of answers and so few medical professionals with any expertise in this condition.

Senior research scientist at Hudson Institute of Medical Research,Dr Fiona Cousins, toldIA"women's health conditions have been underfunded for decades", withonly one of their four endometriosisprojects currently government-funded:

Dr Cousins added:

Lets contrast that with, say, erectile dysfunction, and even a rudimentary Google search will chalk up endless studies and effective treatments.

The issue of male sexual gratification has even managed to infiltrate the minimal research afforded to endometriosis.

It certainly shocked this writer to learn that several existing studies focus not on diagnosis, treatment or cure of endometriosis but on how the condition impacts male partners,such as the following:

• 'Attractiveness of women with rectovaginal endometriosis: a case-control study',2013

• 'A qualitative study of the impact of endometriosis on male partners',2017

• 'Does Endometriosis Affect Sexual Activity and Satisfaction of the Man Partner? A Comparison of Partners From Women Diagnosed With Endometriosis and Controls',2018

• 'The Sexual Wellbeing of Men whose Partners Experience Painful Intercourse Due to Endometriosis',2019

Yes,one in sevengirls and women and those assigned female at birthsuffer excruciating pain and ongoing debilitating symptoms, with many requiring invasive surgeries and indefinite opiate-level pain management, but lets fund studies on the men who may not be sexually satisfied as a result!

Thus, when a supposed eminent leader in the field emerges, says he understands and promises to cure their pain, it is easy to see why so many women trusted Dr Simon Gordon.

*Mia, a former patient of Gordon, toldIA:

After her surgery, Gordon informed Mia that he had fixed her problem:

Unfortunately for Mia, as with many of Gordons patients, this procedure did not improve her quality of life, and her chronic pain and fatigue (another common symptom) deteriorated such that she was no longer able to work.

Mia says:

Mia saw another specialist who confirmed that she had endometriosis andadenomyosis, but that there was no evidence of there ever being anything on [her] bowel.

HOW TO AVOID ANOTHER SIMON GORDON

Gordons alleged atrocities against so many women are so horrendous they have evoked outrageat the highest levels.Both national and state government leadersareattempting to effect much-needed change. However, it is also important to note that this chronic disease and what may be required to avoid another Simon Gordon is that one size does not fit all when it comes to the way forward in endometriosis diagnosis and treatment.

Mia says:

*Jess (another of Gordon's patients) agrees with this and adds:

It is the opinion of this publication that thefollowing areas require acknowledgement, review and/or urgent action:

1.Endometriosis can cause adhesions between organs, significant organ damage, loss of organs and in some cases has been fatal. Currently, the only way to receive an endometriosis diagnosis, in the majority of cases,isthroughsurgeryand the subsequent histopathology of tissue.

It is also worth noting that theamount of endometriosis tissue presentis not an indication of the level of pain/symptoms experienced. This is a point often left out of reporting on this issue and overlooked by politicians.

2.Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan announced Safer Care Victoria would amend the clinical guidelines, making clear that a less invasive ultrasound should be the first step for diagnosing endometriosis across Victoria. However, according to astudyon the effectiveness of diagnostic tools, imaging modalities are most often incapable of detecting endometriosis, so this is not always a suitable diagnostic alternative to laparoscopy.

3.Ovarian cancer risk markedlyincreasesfor people with endometriosis, and pelvic ultrasound is a keydiagnostic toolfor ovarian cancer, butin January 2025, thecostof pelvic ultrasound went from no charge to $95.95 per ultrasound.

4.Legislative reform must focus on the regulation of surgeons who are performing laparoscopic surgeries.

5.Current Federal Government endometriosis funding focuses on reactive measures, with $37 million dedicated to endometriosis clinics and $26.33 million spent on research. Funding must beincreasedand directed to research on prevention, cause and treatment of the condition, rather than its management.

6.PremierJacinta Allen hasreferredDr Simon Gordon to Victoria Police for criminal investigation. It should be noted here that despite this and the litany of complaints against him, Gordon voluntarily resigned his position in the lead-up to the media storm Epworth Hospital did not dismiss him.

7.Legal compensation actions against Gordon and the Epworth Hospital are currently being investigated by several law firms, though there is no guarantee they will receive recompense.

8.A government inquiry into Epworth Hospital's conductis urgently needed.

9.A government-led inquiry into the checks and balances surrounding medical practices, administrative procedures and complaint procedures, including those of Medicare and medical regulatorAHPRA is also urgently needed.

Dr Simon Gordon's patients may have been preyed upon by an unscrupulous practitioner, but he was enabled by a misogynistic health system that requires an urgent and major overhaul. Even following the shocking allegations of this man's practises,his victims have been ignored, their concerns dismissed and insult added to injury by an Epworth-ledinquirywhich has shut them out.

A recentAustralian Governmentreportestimated the following:

• endometriosis-related hospitalisations increased by 43% between 2011 and 2022;
• endometriosis hospitalisations havedoubled among females aged 2024 in the past decade; and
• the total cost of endometriosis is estimated at $30,900perperson.

Endometriosisis not simply a "womens issue".

* Names changed for anonymity

This editorial wasoriginally publishedas part of the Independent Australia weekly newsletter. These editorials are usually only available to subscribers and may be read online in the IAmembers-only area.

Follow managing editorMichelle Pinion [email protected] Independent Australia on [email protected], X/Twitter@independentausand FacebookHERE.

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