Dr Simon Gordon, now-retired obstetrician and gynaecologist, is under investigation by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) for performing multiple surgeries, including the removal of organs, on the basis that patients had endometriosis when in fact they did not.
Over the years, many patients and several medical professionals complained of Dr Gordon’s conduct, but the complaints were all dismissed. This investigation provides insight into the reasons behind the silence from the medical community and the impact of medical misogyny on patients’ health and safety.
In issue
Dr Simon Gordon, former Melbourne obstetrician and gynaecologist, has been brought to national attention after years of silence from the medical community and regulatory bodies. Since 1997, Dr Gordon practised at Epworth Private Hospital and Endo Health, providing care and treatment to female patients, most notably surgeries for endometriosis.
For years, women who experienced severe pelvic pain and other debilitating symptoms relied on Dr Gordon to resolve their suffering. However, a recent investigation into Dr Gordon’s conduct has revealed that he had allegedly been deliberately deceiving patients by diagnosing them with severe endometriosis then encouraging them to consent to invasive procedures which often left these women in positions far worse than before surgery.
The background
Endometriosis is a painful condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it, such as in the ovaries, fallopian tubes and even outside of the pelvic organs. One in seven Australian women are affected, yet there is no cure and the causes are still unknown.
Over the course of his practising years, Dr Gordon carried out laparoscopies, a keyhole surgery often involving the excision of tissue, and the removal of the ovaries and uterus on young women who he diagnosed with endometriosis. A woman’s ovaries are not just crucial for fertility, they also produce hormones integral to maintaining bone health and the immune system. Given their importance, it is generally accepted that a fertility specialist should be included in the conversation prior to the removal of such organs, especially in the case of young women. For many of Dr Gordon’s patients however, including Courtney Patton, this opportunity was apparently not offered.
Ms Patton underwent seven laparoscopies with Dr Gordon who removed both her ovaries and uterus before she turned 25, leaving her infertile. She was admitted to the Cabrini Mental Health Hospital for severe PTSD. When she contacted Dr Gordon for her pathology records he allegedly replied saying he could not locate them. Epworth Hospital’s records showed that a clinician’s complaint about Ms Patton’s second ovary being removed had been forwarded to several directors at the hospital, but no action was taken.
The allegations relate to the fact that many of Dr Gordon’s patients’ histopathology reports showed no evidence of endometriosis, yet he proceeded to perform multiple operations on them on the basis that they presented with advanced endometriosis. According to other experts, surgery can cause more harm than good when performed in the context of chronic pelvic pain, and it should accordingly only be used as a last resort.
The current status
In October last year Dr Gordon announced his retirement following notification of the complaint and a request by the Hospital that he take leave. He cancelled all of his surgeries, causing one patient to attempt suicide. Dr Gordon removed himself from the AHPRA register in December 2025 and is currently under investigation by AHPRA. Dr Gordon has also been referred to the Victorian Police by the Victorian Premier who has stated that 'performing unnecessary surgery is a crime, removing women's organs without a clinical need is a crime and assisting in that conduct is a crime'.
Dr Gordon has denied any wrongdoing and instead has placed the following message on his website, 'I’ll always remember my time in medicine fondly by seeking the very best outcomes for every patient I’ve met'.
Implications for you
This investigation also sheds light on the underlying medical misogyny which still exists in our healthcare system. Women’s pain is often ignored or not taken seriously. It takes the average woman six to eight years to get diagnosed with endometriosis. Change is happening, but it is slow. Women are now being offered additional pain relief for insertion of IUD’s in Victoria (the green whistle) but this is not available everywhere.
More reform is needed to address medical research funding and requirements, how our health workforce is trained, how healthcare is funded to be more accessible and the way health services operate. For years, women have fought for their pain and medical complaints to be taken seriously by medical professionals.
Perhaps the findings of this investigation will bring about some further reform in this area.
