01/14/2026
Endometriosis isn’t always what it looks like on the surface. In this case, what appeared to be a small, subtle spot of disease opened into a deep pocket tracking to the pelvic sidewall, ultimately involving the sacral nerve roots that form the sciatic nerve. This is the kind of complex disease that requires advanced training, experience, and the ability to safely operate around vital structures like nerves, bowel, bladder, ureters, and diaphragm.
This is where Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) matters. Under current law, when patients require highly specialized, complex surgical care that is not available in network, IDR helps protect patient access to expert surgeons-even when those surgeons are out of network. For patients with advanced endometriosis, this provision can be the difference between incomplete treatment and comprehensive excision by a surgeon trained to manage difficult disease. Endometriosis is not one-size-fits-all. Neither should access to care be. Understanding your out of network benefits, and the protections available through IDR can open the door to appropriate expert surgical care especially for those with deep infiltrating disease. Because finding endometriosis is only part of the job. Being able to safely treat it is everything.
