Dr. Michael Hibner

Synopsis

A destination surgeon for the cases others won't touch, with a nerve specialty that sets him apart

Dr. Hibner is not a first-stop surgeon for most patients. He is the surgeon people reach after being turned away, operated on incorrectly, or told their case is too complex. His practice at the Arizona Center for Chronic Pelvic Pain is built around advanced endometriosis, pudendal neuralgia, pelvic mesh injuries, and spastic pelvic floor syndrome. Many of his patients arrive with multi-system disease, failed prior surgeries, or nerve involvement that most excision surgeons are not trained to address. The nerve angle is genuinely distinct. Dr. Hibner is widely cited as a pioneer in pelvic floor Botox and pudendal nerve decompression, and his caseload reflects it. He is triple board certified, has trained 17 advanced surgical fellows, is on the path to AAGL presidency, and has written the textbook on chronic pelvic pain, literally. The tradeoff is real: his practice does not accept insurance, costs are significant. He is best suited for patients with advanced or treatment-resistant disease who have already exhausted first-line options and have the means to pursue out-of-pocket care.

Endometriosis Focus

Advanced endometriosis specialist; treating complex cases since 2004

Dr. Hibner established the original Arizona Center for Chronic Pelvic Pain at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix in 2004 and has focused on advanced endometriosis and pelvic pain since. The practice is not general gynecology. Listed conditions on the current practice site include advanced endometriosis with bowel, urinary, and extrapelvic involvement, alongside pudendal neuralgia, pelvic mesh injury, and severe adhesions. The American End of Endo Project lists Dr. Hibner and specifically notes experience with bowel cases, urinary cases, and extrapelvic cases. Nancy's Nook confirms excision has been performed for some time, alongside pelvic pain management, with positive reports from the community.

Patient accounts across multiple platforms describe traveling from out of state to be seen, with practice staff noting that out-of-state patients are the norm rather than the exception. Multiple reviews describe arriving after four, five, or more prior surgeons failed to identify or fully treat the disease.

Multidisciplinary Approach

In-house physical therapy; integrated pelvic pain team

The Arizona Center for Chronic Pelvic Pain operates as a multidisciplinary practice. In 2025, Dr. Hibner announced the addition of a dedicated Director of Physical Therapy at AZCCPP, described as serving local and international patients with complex pelvic pain conditions alongside Dr. Hibner and the broader team. Patient accounts describe being referred to pelvic floor physical therapists as a routine part of treatment, both before and after surgery. Multiple reviews describe Botox injections to the pelvic floor muscles administered during the same surgical procedure as endometriosis excision, with follow-up physical therapy to work alongside the Botox. Presacral neurectomy is also performed for select patients as part of a broader pain management approach.

Diagnosis Methods

Extended first appointments; thorough review of prior history

Patient accounts consistently describe first appointments lasting one hour or more, with Dr. Hibner reviewing prior surgical reports, imaging, and full pain history in detail. One account describes a 50-minute consultation that covered the complete surgical plan before proceeding. Multiple patients report that Dr. Hibner found substantially more endometriosis than had been identified or reported by prior surgeons, including cases where disease was documented on prior surgical photos but not disclosed to the patient. Dr. Hibner has been noted by patients as the first doctor to validate their diagnosis and take their history seriously after years of dismissal.

No public information found on stated diagnostic philosophy regarding the limitations of ultrasound or MRI for endometriosis specifically.

Educational Presence

Textbook author, AAGL president-elect, and active surgeon-educator with a personal YouTube channel

Dr. Hibner's educational footprint is among the largest of any surgeon in this directory. He edited and co-authored Management of Chronic Pelvic Pain: A Practical Manual, published by Cambridge University Press in April 2021, covering endometriosis, bladder pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, pudendal neuralgia, and related conditions. His Google Scholar profile lists over 1,100 citations. Endo-adjacent publications include a co-authored study on occult microscopic endometriosis in clinically negative peritoneum during laparoscopy, published in the International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in 2020, and a book chapter titled "The Evil Quadruplets: Painful Conditions Coexisting with Endometriosis," published in a Springer volume in 2022.

Dr. Hibner runs a personal YouTube channel, Questions That Need Answers with Dr. Michael Hibner, launched to answer patient questions about pelvic pain conditions including endometriosis. He is also active on Instagram at @michaelhibnermd, with over 800 posts covering endometriosis, pudendal neuralgia, pelvic mesh injury, and pelvic congestion. These are surgeon-run accounts, not hospital-produced content.

In terms of institutional leadership: Dr. Hibner founded the AAGL Chronic Pelvic Pain Special Interest Group in 2011 and served as its inaugural chair. He served on the AAGL Board of Directors from 2015 to 2017 and was elected AAGL Secretary-Treasurer in October 2023, with ascension to AAGL President expected in January 2026. He has served on the Board of Directors of the International Pelvic Pain Society for eight years. He holds academic appointments at Creighton University School of Medicine, the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Arizona State University. He has organized Phoenix-based conferences on severe endometriosis and related pelvic pain conditions, drawing attendees from five continents, and is faculty at Pelvic Floor University and Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation. In 2006, he opened one of the first AAGL-accredited fellowships in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery in the United States, training 17 advanced surgical specialists.

Patient Feedback

Patterns Across Patient Feedback

Post-Surgical Care

Personal follow-up noted in accounts; PT integrated into recovery plan

Patient accounts describe Dr. Hibner checking in personally the morning after surgery and being available by phone or message during recovery. One account describes reaching him on a Sunday morning with a post-operative concern and receiving a call back within 30 minutes. Pelvic floor physical therapy is consistently recommended as part of post-surgical recovery, particularly for patients who also received pelvic floor Botox during surgery. At post-operative appointments, patients describe discussing recurrence options and longer-term management directly with Dr. Hibner. However, a minority of accounts describe a sense of abandonment when complications arose, suggesting follow-through may not be consistent across all cases.

Philosophy and Fit

Best suited for complex, treatment-resistant cases; not a generalist entry point

Dr. Hibner has stated publicly that he does not understand why medications like Lupron or Orilissa are prescribed to patients with endometriosis. In his words: "Why would I want to put women into pre-menopause? Especially women in their 20s. My job is to make your quality of life better and if I don't, then I'm not doing my job." This stance is consistent across multiple patient accounts spanning more than five years.

His practice is explicitly built for patients with advanced, multi-system, or treatment-resistant disease. The case mix described across patient accounts includes stage 4 deep infiltrating endometriosis, bilateral ureteral involvement, rectal encasement, extrapelvic disease, coexisting pudendal neuralgia, pelvic congestion syndrome, and cases requiring repeat surgery after incomplete prior excision. Patients who have already seen multiple specialists and still do not have answers are the ones this practice appears designed for.

Dr. Hibner's practice does not accept insurance for consultation or surgical fees. Multiple patient community sources cite out-of-pocket costs in the range of $750 for a consultation and $10,000 to $40,000 for surgery depending on complexity. This is a meaningful access barrier, and is worth verifying directly with the practice. For patients who are considering the out-of-pocket path, asking about what hospital costs may be separately billable to insurance is also worth clarifying.