Leven Rambin thought she was walking into a standard medical appointment. The actress, known for roles in Hunger Games and Fire Country, booked what was advertised as a “routine” laparoscopy. The goal was clear: diagnose endometriosis, clear out adhesions, and fix fertility issues. She was told she could return to filming a Netflix series within two weeks.
She woke up in the ICU.
Rambin, now 36, has a scar on her abdomen the length of her forearm. She survived because she didn’t. The surgeon accidentally nicked her aorta. That is the main artery carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body. One slip. One mistake. It almost cost her everything.
She posted about it on TikTok. Raw. Angry. Relieved.
“I almost lost my life during this crazy traumatic surgery,” she shared. “Why yes, I am up and walking… I’m a bad b—h. I’m not going to sit there and cry.” She has been crying, obviously. But the reality of what nearly happened is only now settling in.
The Danger of Non-Specialized Endometriosis Care
This isn’t just a celebrity health scare. It is a warning label for anyone dealing with chronic pelvic pain. Rambin’s case highlights a critical, often ignored gap in women’s healthcare: which doctors are qualified to perform complex endometriosis excision?
Most gynecologists are trained to diagnose and treat standard conditions. They are not always trained to perform deep excision surgery for endometriosis. Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. It can bind to the bowels, bladder, ovaries, and major blood vessels. Removing it requires navigating a minefield of anatomy.
Rambin admitted her surgeon told her, “Yes, it’s my fault.” When Rambin asked if she wasn’t a specialist, the doctor replied, “I’m human.”
It was a “one-in-a-million freak accident,” Rambin says. She is angry, but she understands the odds. Still, the statistics don’t comfort patients who wake up in intensive care with a nicked aorta.
Excision vs. Ablation: Why Specialization Matters
Here is the hard truth many patients face: standard OBGYNs or general hospital surgeons should not be the ones performing complex endometriosis removal. Treating this disease safely requires an excision specialist. Someone with advanced training who knows how to meticulously cut the disease out at the root, avoiding major organs and blood vessels.
Ablation burns the tissue on the surface. Excision cuts it out. For many patients, especially those with deep infiltrating endometriosis, ablation is not enough. But even if ablating is the chosen path, the risk of damaging the aorta during a laparoscopy for endo patients is non-zero. Without specialized expertise, that risk spikes.
“Without that specialized expertise, patients face severe risks… as Rambin’s injured aorta proves.”
Rambin’s surgeon assured her she’d be back on set in 14 days. For patients undergoing true excision surgery by a specialist, a full recovery typically takes four to six weeks. It takes longer. The body needs time to heal from deep tissue trauma.
The Fertility Myth and Endometriosis Reality
Rambin went in wanting to preserve her fertility. It is a valid concern for many women, known affectionately (and perhaps bitterly) in communities as “endo warriors.” But her story touches on a frustrating cultural narrative: we often only treat endometriosis seriously when it blocks pregnancy.
Endometriosis is a whole-body inflammatory condition. It causes severe pain, fatigue, and organ dysfunction long before fertility becomes an issue. Women deserve expert, safe care regardless of their reproductive goals. The disease is incurable, but it is manageable. Management requires the right doctor.
Rambin is currently home. She has a hysterectomy pillow propping up her abdomen to take pressure off her incision. She is dealing with intense back pain, nausea, and full-body soreness. She had to drop out of the Netflix project.
She did leave the hospital with something tangible, though: a formal diagnosis of Stage 1 endometriosis and ovarian polyps.
Living With the Scars
So what happens now? She is walking. She is strong. And she is making jokes about her future child.
“So my kid better be f-cking awesome. Cute. Not terrible,” she quipped. “I’ll be like, yeah, all of this was worth it.”
It’s a deflection, really. A way to process the terror of nearly dying from a procedure meant to help. But beneath the humor is the lingering question of how many more patients will face the same scare before the medical standard shifts?
We assume doctors know anatomy better than anyone. We trust the scrubs. But Rambin’s story suggests that for complex chronic conditions like endometriosis, trust isn’t enough. You need proven skill. You need a specialist. And right now, too many people are getting the “routine” version of care for a disease that is anything but.
