Endometriosis Excision Surgeon

Dr. Mark Dassel

Murray (Salt Lake City), Utah

Synopsis

Fellowship-trained excision surgeon with a published research record and positive patient feedback

Dr. Dassel does not have a large social media presence, but he does not seem to need one. The patient feedback across every platform reviewed is consistently glowing. Patients describe first appointments that last 90 minutes to three hours. They describe feeling believed, sometimes for the first time after years of dismissal, and they describe meaningful surgical outcomes. Behind the patient accounts is a research record in endometriosis that covers bladder endo, diaphragmatic endo, bowel endo, diagnostic biopsy technique, and educational gaps in surgical training. The wait to be seen is significant and the intake process requires patience, but the accounts of what patients find on the other side are remarkably consistent.

Endometriosis Focus

Fellowship-trained MIGS surgeon; endometriosis excision and chronic pelvic pain are the core of the practice

Dr. Dassel completed a fellowship in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at the University of Louisville, training under Dr. Pasic. Endometriosis excision and chronic pelvic pain evaluation are his stated clinical focus across every institutional profile and professional listing. Treatment data from WebMD Care shows endometriosis treated at a rate above most comparable providers. Nancy's Nook confirms he does excision and has stated publicly that he regards excision as the foundational surgical treatment for endometriosis.

Surgical Method

Laparoscopic and robotic excision; has performed complex multi-stage cases including stage IV DIE

Excision is his stated and confirmed surgical approach. Patient accounts document laparoscopic excision across a wide range of disease presentations, including dense adhesions, bilateral endometriomas, deep infiltrating endometriosis in the anterior and posterior cul-de-sacs, ureters encased in adhesions, rectal endometriosis, and diaphragmatic involvement. Multiple accounts describe six-hour or longer surgeries for complex multi-site disease. One patient described going in for what appeared on MRI to be relatively mild disease and having significantly more extensive DIE identified and excised intraoperatively. Dr. Dassel has stated that he pre-plans for complex cases and schedules consulting surgeons when imaging suggests disease that may require multidisciplinary involvement. His published research includes surgical video publications on excision technique for bladder endometriosis, ileocolic bowel endo, and deep infiltrating endo involving the ureters and rectovaginal septum.

Other Areas of Specialty

Fibroids, adhesive disease, and the full spectrum of pelvic pain conditions

Beyond endometriosis, Dr. Dassel treats fibroids, severe adhesive disease, and the broader range of conditions that contribute to chronic pelvic pain, including high tone pelvic floor dysfunction (chronic pelvic floor muscle tension), interstitial cystitis (bladder pain), and nerve-related pelvic pain. He has written and spoken publicly about how endometriosis pain is compounded by secondary pain sources including pelvic floor dysfunction, and addresses these alongside surgical treatment. He is also listed as a resource for patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue condition that requires surgical awareness to avoid injury during procedures.

Multidisciplinary Approach

Colorectal surgeon and urologist confirmed; actively seeking thoracic coverage; pelvic floor PT integrated

Nancy Petersen published a note in 2021 confirming that following his move to Utah, Dr. Dassel added a colorectal surgeon and urologist to his team of consultants. At that time he was actively looking for a thoracic surgeon for complex cases. A 2025 patient account from Nancy's Nook confirms an upcoming excision surgery that will include a colorectal surgeon. Patient accounts describe complex multi-site disease being handled within a single surgical episode with consulting surgeons involved when needed, and cases being pre-planned based on imaging to determine when multidisciplinary coordination is required.

Pelvic floor physical therapy is consistently integrated into treatment planning. In a Nancy's Nook review, a patient describes Dr. Dassel bringing a pelvic floor PT into the room during a consultation exam to provide input. Multiple reviews mention referrals to pelvic floor PT as part of the treatment plan. He has spoken publicly about high tone pelvic floor dysfunction as one of the most common secondary pain sources in endometriosis patients, and addresses it alongside surgical care. He has also described using botox injections and abdominal trigger point injections as additional tools for managing pelvic floor pain when appropriate.

Ask directly

Do you work with colorectal, urological, or thoracic surgeons for complex cases, and how is that coordinated?

Diagnosis Methods

Thorough intake process; treats negative imaging as inconclusive, not definitive

First consultations are documented consistently across patient accounts as lasting 90 minutes to three hours. Multiple reviews describe a full review of prior records, imaging, and surgical history alongside a thorough physical examination. One Nancy's Nook review from 2022 describes Dr. Dassel bringing a pelvic floor PT into the room during the exam to assess alongside him. He orders MRI for pre-surgical planning and has been documented selecting specific radiologists to read pelvic MRI rather than sending to a general imaging center.

Multiple patient accounts describe Dr. Dassel explicitly telling patients that endometriosis cannot be ruled out by a negative MRI or ultrasound. One 2024 Reddit account describes him saying he was absolutely sure a patient had endometriosis despite imaging that did not show it, and adding that even if she did not, the pain was real. Surgery confirmed extensive endometriosis in that case. Several patient accounts describe disease found and excised that had been entirely missed on prior imaging and by prior surgeons. Nancy's Nook notes that he prefers patients to have an established diagnosis before being seen, which is a factor worth considering for patients who have not yet had diagnostic surgery.

Educational Presence

Active researcher, surgical educator, and podcast contributor; no personal social media found

Dr. Dassel has a notable publication record in endometriosis for a community practice surgeon. Confirmed endo-related peer-reviewed publications include a 2023 Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology (JMIG) paper on surgical technique for ileocolic endometriosis; a 2021 JMIG surgical video publication on diaphragmatic endometriosis management, presented at the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons 46th Annual Scientific Meeting; a 2021 JMIG paper on chronic pelvic pain educational gaps in MIGS fellowship training; and earlier publications from his fellowship era on site-specific peritoneal biopsies for endo diagnosis in the benign-appearing pelvis, and surgical repair of bladder endometriosis. His ResearchGate profile lists multiple endo-related publications and his Doximity profile confirms published research in endometriosis and pelvic pain.

He is a board member of the International Pelvic Pain Society and has been a featured speaker at the Mountain Land Pelvic Summit. In April 2025 he appeared on the BackTable OBGYN Podcast (episode 81, "Surgical Considerations in Chronic Pelvic Pain"), a peer-professional podcast hosted by Dr. Mark Hoffman and Dr. Amy Park. He also appeared on the Mountain Land Physical Therapy Pelvic Health Podcast discussing endometriosis diagnosis, treatment, and the multidisciplinary approach. Both podcasts are professional in orientation rather than patient-facing. A 2019 SELF Magazine article features Dr. Dassel as an expert source on endometriosis pain management, published during his Cleveland Clinic tenure. He was also featured in the Reborn Pelvic Health and Wellness Spotlight Series, a short interview-format video discussing his background and philosophy. No personal social media presence was found on Instagram, X, or any other platform.

Patient Feedback

Patterns Across Patient Feedback

Positive pattern

Mixed or notable

Recurring concern

Patients consistently describe finally feeling believed after years of dismissal and misdiagnosis. This is the single most repeated theme across Reddit, Nancy's Nook, BirdEye, Healthgrades, and Intermountain Health reviews. Multiple accounts describe crying in the consultation from relief. One patient described Dr. Dassel appearing genuinely angry on their behalf about the dismissal they had experienced from prior providers.

First consultations are consistently described as lasting 90 minutes to three hours. Patients describe time being taken to understand the full history, ask questions, and discuss all options before any decisions are made. No patient in the reviewed accounts described feeling rushed. Appointment length is mentioned as a reason wait times run long, and is framed by patients as a feature rather than an inconvenience.

Multiple accounts describe significant disease being identified and excised that had been missed by prior surgeons, including nodules behind ovaries, DIE in the cul-de-sac, ileocolic bowel involvement, and endometriomas. Several patients describe disease extent that was far more severe than pre-surgical imaging had suggested, with Dr. Dassel proceeding competently through the additional complexity.

Patient autonomy is described across many accounts as a defining feature of the care. Multiple reviews describe options being presented and decisions being made jointly, with patient preferences respected without pushback. One account describes Dr. Dassel supporting a decision to ligate fallopian tubes based on the patient's expressed wishes, and another describes him respecting an explicit refusal of hormonal suppression therapy and proceeding to schedule excision surgery without hesitation.

Patients describe traveling from significant distances across Utah and neighboring states specifically to see Dr. Dassel, citing him as the only accessible excision surgeon in the region. He is the consistently recommended name across Utah-focused endo threads on Reddit, Nancy's Nook, and patient community sources.

At least one account notes that Dr. Dassel corrected nursing staff on patient pronouns during an appointment for a transgender patient and went out of his way to ensure the patient was treated respectfully. This is noted as a positive and unusual experience in an endo care context.

Appointment wait times are consistently described as months-long and, in multiple accounts, over a year from initial contact to first appointment. This appears to be structural: the referral-based intake process is selective, the practice is high-demand, and individual appointments are long. Multiple patients describe the wait as frustrating but ultimately worth it. Scheduling should be factored into any timeline planning.

Appointments often run significantly behind schedule. Multiple reviews note that Dr. Dassel was late to consultations due to the length of time spent with the prior patient. Patients who reviewed this pattern framed it positively, noting they received the same extended time when their appointment came, but it is worth accounting for in scheduling expectations.

Two 2026 BirdEye reviews describe referrals being denied or lost without clear communication from the intake team. In one case, a patient learned months later that a referral had been rejected in July after being told in August it was still pending. In another, a patient in ongoing pain received no response to multiple follow-up calls. Both reviewers noted that Dr. Dassel himself was not the issue, but that the intake and referral process created a significant barrier to access. This is a consistent enough pattern to flag for patients navigating referral.

One 2025 Reddit account raises a concern about his approach to hysterectomy. The reviewer felt he was too quick to recommend hysterectomy and that this reflected outdated thinking about endometriosis. She also described a disagreement about hormonal therapy research: when she cited studies contradicting his position, he suggested she had likely misunderstood them. She asked directly for another excision surgery and he did not think she still had endometriosis, redirecting her instead to pelvic floor therapy and muscle relaxers for rectal pain. She remains in significant ongoing pain. One account only, and she described him as the kindest and most thorough doctor she had ever seen and spent three hours in the appointment. Noted for patients who want to confirm his current thinking on hysterectomy and repeat excision before committing.

Wait times are a real planning factor here. The intake process is referral-based and selective, first appointments are long, and demand is high. Patients describe waits of several months to over a year. It is worth calling the office directly to understand current timelines and referral requirements.

Post-Surgical Care

Ongoing follow-up confirmed; patient accounts describe continued engagement well beyond surgery

Multiple patient accounts describe Dr. Dassel continuing to see and support patients well after surgery, including through ongoing pain management, referrals to physical therapy, botox injections, trigger point injections, and medication adjustments. In a Nancy's Nook review, a patient six months post-surgery describes him as still engaged, still generating new ideas, and instrumental in keeping her functioning through an extended and difficult recovery. Dr. Dassel has been quoted in a review stating that he feels passionate about following his endometriosis patients after surgery and that he and the patient would continue meeting until they both felt she had been appropriately treated. A 2020 patient account describes him explaining clearly before surgery what post-operative recovery would look like and why, so that patients were prepared.

One patient account describes post-surgical birth control being discussed and introduced short-term for a specific reason: to allow the ovaries to recover after surgery. The patient described multiple conversations with Dr. Dassel before agreeing, and stated that in those discussions it was clear the reasoning was not suppression in lieu of excision, but rather a targeted short-term intervention with a specific clinical rationale. Nancy Petersen's 2021 published note also clarified that he does not use hormonal treatment as a substitute for excision, which had been a prior misunderstanding in the group.

Ask directly

Do you see patients personally at follow-up appointments, or does someone else from your team?
How soon after surgery is the first follow-up appointment?
For how long do you continue to see patients after surgery?
Do you recommend hormonal treatment or birth control after surgery, and what is your reasoning?

Philosophy and Fit

Values and beliefs worth considering when evaluating fit

Dr. Dassel has described himself publicly as someone who is open to every tool that can improve quality of life for endometriosis patients, and who views excision as the foundational surgical treatment within a broader set of possible interventions that may include physical therapy, hormonal support, nerve management, and other approaches. This means he approaches treatment holistically rather than purely surgically, which is reflected in the length and structure of consultations and the ongoing nature of post-surgical care. For patients whose primary goal is excision, this philosophy has not been a barrier in the large majority of reviewed accounts. One review suggests a possible mismatch for patients who are specifically seeking a strictly excision-first, anti-suppression approach and want a surgeon who will readily agree to repeat excision when pain returns.

Dr. Dassel is leading the development of a comprehensive MIGS and pelvic pain program at Intermountain Medical Center in collaboration with Dr. Taylor Norton. He serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Utah School of Medicine and is a board member of the International Pelvic Pain Society. He also serves in educational roles for the Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery. Multiple accounts note that he is significantly underpaid relative to his training and skill for the area of medicine he chose, and that his choice to focus on endometriosis rather than more lucrative areas is framed by patients as evidence of genuine commitment to the field.

Sources

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FAQ

Who you choose for your surgeon matters more than most people realize. The wrong surgeon can mean missed disease, unnecessary surgeries, and years of pain that didn't have to happen. This is what happened to me.

Finding the right one is not a guarantee, but can drastically improve the outcome of your surgery. This directory pulls together publicly available information and patient-reported patterns in one place, so you can walk into a consultation prepared.

This directory was built using publicly available information from a wide range of sources, including surgeon websites, medical publications, advocacy resources, social media, and submissions from my social media community.

If they show on this list, it means a surface-level check confirmed endometriosis is a primary focus of their practice.. Once their name is linked to a profile, it means I have completed and published my deeper independent research on that surgeon.

Most OBGYNs are trained to do a lot of things: deliver babies, manage general gynecological care, perform routine surgeries. This is important work, but Endometriosis is a different skill set.

Endo can look different in every patient, hide in unexpected places, and requires specific training and a high volume of cases to recognize and remove well. A surgeon who splits their time across general obstetrics and gynecology is not the same as one who has made endometriosis and similar conditions the focus of their practice.

Every surgeon listed here publicly identifies endometriosis as a high focus of their work, and that has to be verifiable through public sources: their own website, a hospital profile, a professional directory, published interviews, or similar.

Surgeons are included on the list based on the criteria listed above.

Personal conduct, social media behavior, and online controversy are not criteria for inclusion or removal. The directory exists to help patients find skilled surgeons, not to weigh in on personality or public opinion.

A surgeon could be removed if I find a credible, documented pattern of patient safety concerns, loss of medical license, or conduct that directly impacts the quality or safety of patient care.

Absence from this directory doesn't mean a surgeon is unqualified. It means I either haven't found them yet, or couldn't find enough public information to confirm that endometriosis as a genuine focus of their practice. The directory is a living resource and will keep growing with your help.

Use the "submit feedback" button above to suggest a surgeon for review or share your experience with a surgeon.

Yes, please! Use the "submit feedback" button above.

A submission is a request for consideration, not a guarantee of inclusion. Every surgeon goes through the same research process regardless of how they came to our attention, whether that's a patient suggestion, a surgeon submitting themselves, or my own research. The information found is the information published, good or bad.

Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok (@wulfwomen), I am happy to skip ahead and help research your surgeon before your surgery date. <3

If the surgeon you're looking for doesn't meet the criteria, I will let you know. If they do, I will create the full profile and publish it here on this page.

I plan to go through the list every three months and make updates. I hope to add feedback as I get it, but I am only one person and it may take some time.

Please let me know via the "submit feedback" button above.

I really appreciate all feedback and more eyes on this. I've worked very hard to make sure this is accurate, but there is always a chance something could slip through. I review all submissions and make corrections as quickly as I can.

Check out the surgeons in your neighboring states. Many them operate out of multiple locations.

Patient feedback is pulled from publicly available sources like reviews and community forums. Some feedback is submitted directly to me via the "submit feedback" button above.

I take this feedback and fold it into the summaries in the profiles, rather than including every review word for word.

Profile depth reflects what's publicly available, not the quality of the surgeon. That said, a sparse profile is worth paying attention to. Surgeons who specialize in endometriosis tend to have a presence in the patient community. If a profile is thin on reviews and information, that's a sign to do more research and ask a ton of questions.

Yes, and I'll be upfront about it. I could not have built this without AI.

I am doing the research on each surgeon, then asking AI to check the internet for search for additional public sources.

Then, I ask AI to help with the first draft of the profile content. I read it and fix it manually to make sure it's accurate based on my research.

Lastly, I ask AI to build the code for me to make the profiles look nice on the website.

I have the utmost respect for Nancy's Nook, she helped me find my specialist. I have had her page listed on my website for a year now, but noticed very few people are clicking the link I provided. The younger generations aren't using facebook as much as we used to and I wanted something easier to access for all ages.

I also wanted to provide a service that could pull information from all over the internet and make it easy to view in one place.

iCareBetter has great information, but much of the information on there is surgeon submitted or sponsored. The Wulf Women list is a place for all information to be found, regardless of where it came from.

No. I will never accept payment from any surgeon listed here, and this directory does not generate income for me.

My name is Debrah (Deb) Stark. I'm an endo patient who learned the hard way how important specialty care is. I promised myself after my second surgery I would do everything I could to help other women navigate endometriosis care. My mission is to give women enough information to help them make the right medical decisions for themselves.

You can find me on TikTok and Instagram as @wulfwomen .

“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”
-Rudyard Kipling,The Jungle Book

Dr. Mark Dassel

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