SYDNEY: An Australian gynaecologist was referred to police on Tuesday over media allegations that he carried out unneeded surgeries on women, including organ removals.
Multiple patients of Melbourne surgeon Simon Gordon told public broadcaster ABC that he performed surgeries on them for severe endometriosis despite little or no evidence that they had the disease.
Some were in pain for months or years after the procedures.
Endometriosis is a chronic disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the womb.
One woman had her ovaries and her uterus removed by the surgeon, but her pathology results mostly showed no sign of the disease, the broadcaster said.
A senior surgeon told the ABC that one sample indicated an “insignificant amount of possible endometriosis” in the patient, and there was no justification for removing her ovaries.
Another woman said the surgeon diagnosed her with endometriosis and operated despite earlier pathology results showing no sign of the disease.
Six years after surgery, she was unable to walk for five minutes without pain.
“I have barely any quality of life compared to what I had before,” she was quoted as saying.
Gordon has denied wrongdoing, telling the ABC he never performed surgery for endometriosis “unless I was absolutely convinced it was in the patient’s best interests”.
AFP has contacted the recently retired surgeon for his response to the report.
Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said she was “sickened” by the allegations and had referred them to the police.
“Performing unnecessary surgery is a crime, removing a woman’s organs without a clinical need is a crime, and assisting in that conduct is a crime,” she said in a statement.
Victoria Police said they were “assessing information” following the referral.
The ABC said complaints about the doctor had been lodged by patients and clinicians over five years with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
Victoria’s premier said the regulator should take complaints seriously and investigate in a “timely manner”.
“If that has not occurred in this case, they need to explain why and ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
The Australian regulator said in a statement that it acknowledged the distress of patients and was “actively reviewing our overall methodology in assessing and reviewing these types of cases”.
