Dr. John Fredrick Jarrell

New Book Reexamines Controversial 19^th-Century Surgery and Its Legacy in Women’s Health Care

Calgary physician argues misunderstood doctor’s work reflects early efforts to treat complex pelvic pain

CALGARY, Alberta. – A new book by Dr. John Jarrell, an Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Calgary, offers a fresh historical perspective on one of the most controversial procedures in the history of women’s health. “Removing Ovaries to Treat Women’s Pelvic Pain: The Biography of Dr. Robert Battey” examines the life and work of Dr. Robert Battey, a 19th-century American physician who pioneered the surgical removal of ovaries as a treatment for severe pelvic pain.

The book places Battey’s work in the context of the limited medical knowledge and treatment options available at the time, when women suffering from severe pelvic pain often had few alternatives beyond narcotics or ineffective therapies.

Through a detailed biography and analysis of Battey’s writings, case reports, correspondence and primary reference material, Jarrell argues that the physician has been misunderstood by history, suggesting that Battey was observing clinical patterns that were not yet understood, including symptoms now associated with chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis. These conditions can involve persistent pain, neurological sensitization and a range of physical and psychological effects.

“Battey recognized that these women were experiencing real and debilitating symptoms that extended beyond the reproductive organs,” Jarrell said. “What he lacked was the scientific framework we have today to explain those symptoms fully.”

Jarrell also explores how the history of the procedure reflects broader issues in women’s health care, including the challenges of diagnosing and treating complex pain conditions and the tendency to adopt new treatments before they are fully understood. By revisiting this history, Jarrell notes that surgery for pain today still carries unpredictable rates of success, which encourages reflection on current standards of care and the importance of continued research into chronic pelvic pain and pain sensitization.

“The story of the Battey operation reminds us that medicine is always evolving,” he said. “It challenges us to think critically about how we treat patients today and how future generations may view our decisions.”

“Removing Ovaries to Treat Women’s Pelvic Pain: The Biography of Dr. Robert Battey”

By Dr. John Jarrell, MD, MSc, FRCSC 

ISBN: 9781665792318 (softcover); 9781665792332 (hardcover); 9781665792325 (electronic) 

Available at Archway Publishing, Amazon and Barnes & Noble 

About the author

Dr. John Jarrell, MD, MSc, FRCSC is an emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. He is a clinician, researcher and author of more than 100 peer-reviewed articles. Jarrell was an active member of the Pelvic Pain Group at the Calgary Chronic Pain Centre for more than 20 years. His research has focused on how health care providers identify and manage pelvic pain sensitization within interdisciplinary care programs. To learn more, please visit 

Academic Press ISBN 978-0-443-23994-6