How to Find an Endometriosis Excision Surgeon

Para leerlo en español, clic aquí

The information on my platforms is educational information only and not medical advice. Always check with your qualified medical professional before making any changes to your treatment plan. Keep in mind that while I strive to share evidenced-based information on endometriosis, this doesn’t always mean that my information is accurate or complete. See my full disclaimer here.

Steps to finding an excision surgeon

Here’s common steps people take. Keep in mind though that your steps may be different.

• Step 1: Gather a list of names of potential surgeons
• Step 2: Research in great depth about your surgeon
• Step 3: Narrow your list down to 2-3 names. If possible, have consults with these surgeons to vet them further and see how comfortable you feel with them.
• Step 4: Decide on your surgeon, but remember, you are hiring them, and if something feels off or new information arises, you can decide not to operate with them and to look for another surgeon. 

Step 1: Gather a list of names of potential surgeons

Here’s some ways people find their surgeons:

• Search for surgeons through the internet
• Ask patients for recommendations
• Ask their pelvic floor therapist for recommendations
  • If they are familiar with endometriosis, they may know local surgeons since PFT commonly goes hand-in-hand with excision
• Use Endometriosis facebook groups to find surgeon recommendations
  • There’s general endometriosis groups, such as Nancy’s Nook
  • There’s also regional endometriosis groups, such as for Texas, the Pacific Northwest, Mexico, Peru, etc.
• Look for recommendations from endometriosis associations, non profits, or organizations. 
• Use the AAGL Physician Finder

Important: There is no official list of surgeons worldwide. There are a few Facebook groups, video-vetting platforms, and surgeon’s associations who have lists of surgeons, but none of these are lists of all top tier surgeons – even if they advertise them that way. Any platform you use to find a surgeon should just be as a tool to gather names of potential surgeons. You still need to do due diligence to make sure they have the appropriate skill level to treat your case. No list, video-vetting platform, or surgeon’s association can guarantee you that you have a great outcome, won’t have complications, or will even like your surgeon. Do not make assumptions “Since I found my surgeon on this platform which looks very official, they must be an expert.” Move onto the next steps to judge for yourself if they are an actual expert.

Nancy’s Nook Endometriosis Education – Facebook group

There are different opinions about Nancy’s Nook, but many find it to be a helpful starting place to find an excision surgeon. There’s a misconception that Nancy’s Nook is a list of the best surgeon’s worldwide, but as I said above in the Important disclaimer, do not assume that of any list or vetting platform. 

• Not all excision surgeons – even those on the Nook list – have the same skill level, experience, or treatment philosophies.
• Do not take the Nook list as a guarantee that the surgeon can fully and safely excise your endometriosis.
• There are criticisms that negative reviews are sometimes rejected and not posted by the moderators. 
• Nancy’s Nook isn’t the only starting place to try and find a surgeon. There are some amazing excision surgeons not listed on their list. Some excision surgeons do not have a social media platform, are not well known outside of their local network, or work at academic institutions and rely on referrals instead of advertising to find patients.

Step 2: Research in great depth about your surgeon

No matter where you hear about your surgeon – even if you find your surgeon on a list, facebook group, my podcast, a surgeon’s association, or a vetting website (no matter how reputable it may seem) – it’s still imperative to research in depth about them.

• Use Facebook groups, Reddit, Google reviews, doctor review pages like Health Grades, regional WhatsApp groups, social media like Instagram or X, your insurance provider’s website, etc – as many places as you can find – to look at patient reviews.
  • When searching online, look at search results on as many pages as appear. Don’t just look at the first page of search results!
• Look for any lawsuits involving your surgeon.
• Go to Open Payments and see if your surgeon has industry ties and gets paid by any pharmaceutical companies
  • It’s common that doctors may receive small amounts of payment, but if they are making tens of thousands through Abbvie or other pharmaceutical companies, this can be a red flag.
• Look at the surgeon’s website and social media
  • Keep in mind that social media is curated and can be deceiving. My Instagram page is full of amazing info on endometriosis but I have 0 skills to operate!

Patient reviews are extremely important

Patient reviews can help you know:

• patients’ outcomes
• patients’ complications
• what kind of person the surgeon is
  • Do reviews say that they fully explained the potential risks and benefits of surgery?
  • Did patients feel gaslit or pressured into making a decision?
  • Did patients feel listened to and respected?
  • What kind of long term outcomes did patients have? 

I think it’s important to look at reviews of patients who had their surgery 1 year ago or more. Many patients write glowing reviews of their surgeons right after their excision, because their surgeon was the first doctor in years who actually listened to them and took seriously their symptoms. But recognizing symptoms as endometriosis and being a kind listener isn’t the same as having high surgical skill. I thought my surgeon walked on the moon after my excision. I was so grateful to him and would have given him 5 stars. But after spending more time in the endometriosis community and learning more, I came to realize he had some red flags, did unnecessary medical procedures, and wasn’t as knowledgeable as endometriosis as I originally thought. I’d actually give him a 3.5 star review, not 5 stars. But it took me time to realize that.

Look for a pattern in the reviews: All surgeons have had complications, recurrence of disease or pain, or days where they were not in a great mood. Look for an overall pattern among the reviews. What do most patients say about the surgeon?

Make sure to my page on Who makes a good excision surgeon.

Step 3: Narrow your list down to 2-3 names. If possible, have consults with these surgeons to vet them further and see how comfortable you feel with them

There are different lists of questions to ask your surgeon online. See my list Questions to Ask Your Surgeon