Dr. Mark Dassel

Patient Feedback

Patterns Across Patient Feedback

Endometriosis Focus

A Primary Focus Within a Minimally Invasive and Chronic Pelvic Pain Practice

Endometriosis is a primary focus of the practice, situated within a broader minimally invasive gynecologic surgery and chronic pelvic pain program. After a fellowship in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at the University of Louisville, the clinical work has centered on the diagnosis and surgical treatment of endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain. A prior role as Director of the Center of Endometriosis at Cleveland Clinic preceded the current position at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, where a comprehensive minimally invasive and pelvic pain program is being developed in collaboration with another surgeon. Nancy's Nook lists Dr. Dassel as an excision specialist. The practice is not limited to pelvic pain alone, but endometriosis and complex pelvic pain are the stated clinical emphasis, including advanced and deep infiltrating disease.

Multidisciplinary Approach

Consultants for Complex Cases and On-Site Pelvic Floor PT

A multidisciplinary team is in place for complex cases. Nancy's Nook reports that a colorectal surgeon and a urologist have been added as consultants, with a thoracic surgeon being sought for cases involving disease outside the pelvis. Pelvic floor physical therapy is treated as a central part of evaluation and treatment, and patient accounts describe a pelvic floor physical therapist being brought directly into examinations. Coordination with reproductive endocrinology supports fertility-related decisions, and care coordination, nurse triage, and pain psychology are described as part of the overall approach to chronic pelvic pain.

Diagnosis Methods

History and Exam First, With Imaging Treated as Limited

A detailed history and a thorough physical examination are described as central to the diagnostic process, with extended first appointments used to map the full range of possible pain generators. Standard imaging is treated as limited. Patient accounts consistently describe reassurance that a negative ultrasound or MRI does not rule out endometriosis, including direct statements of confidence in the diagnosis despite negative scans.

Published research has examined the use of site-specific peritoneal biopsies to diagnose endometriosis in a pelvis that appears normal during laparoscopy. MRI read by specific radiologists is ordered in some cases. Nancy's Nook notes a preference for patients to arrive with an established diagnosis, which is worth knowing for those earlier in the diagnostic process.

Educational Presence

Peer-Professional and Institution-Affiliated, Not Self-Run Patient Education

Public presence is primarily peer-professional and institution-affiliated rather than self-run patient education. Published endometriosis research includes work on site-specific peritoneal biopsies for diagnosis and surgical-video publications on bladder, diaphragmatic, ileocolic, and deep infiltrating disease, along with a needs assessment on chronic pelvic pain education within minimally invasive gynecologic surgery fellowships.

Appearances include the BackTable OBGYN podcast, a peer-facing surgical discussion of chronic pelvic pain, and the Mountain Land Pelvic Health Podcast, produced through a physical therapy partnership and also released on YouTube. A spotlight interview was produced by Reborn Pelvic Health and Wellness. A 2019 SELF Magazine article quoted Dr. Dassel as an expert on endometriosis pain management during the Cleveland Clinic years.

Roles include board membership with the International Pelvic Pain Society, educational involvement with the minimally invasive gynecologic surgery fellowship, a speaker listing at the Mountain Land Pelvic Summit, and a 2020 presentation on diaphragmatic endometriosis at the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons. No appearances on patient-facing endometriosis podcasts were found, and no personally run patient-education social media accounts were identified.

Post-Surgical Care

Continued Follow-Up, With Hormonal Suppression Generally Recommended

Patient accounts describe close and continued follow-up after surgery, including a stated commitment to following endometriosis patients until both patient and surgeon agree that treatment is adequate. Post-operative reviews across several months describe ongoing troubleshooting of residual pain, coordination of pelvic floor physical therapy, trigger point and botox injections, and medication adjustments.

Hormonal suppression after surgery is generally recommended as a way to slow regrowth and prolong relief, with the reasoning that suppression holds disease in check but does not remove it. This is framed as a quality-of-life decision rather than a requirement, and accounts describe a willingness to forgo suppression when it is poorly tolerated. Patients who are specifically seeking surgery without any hormonal suppression should discuss this directly, since the standard recommendation leans toward post-surgical suppression for most patients.

Philosophy and Fit

Excision as the Foundation, Treated Alongside Overlapping Pain Generators

The stated philosophy treats excision as the foundation of surgical endometriosis care, combined with other tools aimed at pain, organ function, fertility, and quality of life. Endometriosis is described as one trigger among overlapping pain generators, and the approach emphasizes treating the whole picture, including pelvic floor dysfunction, bladder and bowel pain, and central or neuropathic pain, rather than endometriosis in isolation.

Shared decision-making and patient autonomy are emphasized strongly across accounts, with options laid out and individual choices respected, including aggressive removal of disease at a patient's request and decisions around fertility. In select cases driven by refractory bleeding or adenomyosis, hysterectomy is considered as one option rather than a default. Patients seeking strictly excision-only care without hormonal suppression may find this combined approach a mismatch, and it is worth weighing directly.