UNM Neurosurgery Silent on Alleged Harm to Young Patient by Misuse of IRRAflow Device, and Report to Risk Management/Safety Committees
The University of New Mexico continues its silence on complaints made about misuse of the IRRAflow medical device at the UNM Hospital by some of the School of Medicine Neurosurgery Department’s attending (teaching) physicians and resident physicians (doctors being trained).
The Candle has reviewed a document alleging that on July 21, 2025, a patient suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, was initially successfully operated on by a senior attending neurosurgeon at the University of New Mexico Hospital.
However, according to the allegations in the document, following a shift change of doctors the next day, the patient suffered what is known as an iatrogenic event (harm or illness caused via medical treatment), as a result of a decision of the new on-call attending neurosurgeon to place an IRRAFlow EVD device in the person.
The document continued about the decision by the second attending physician to cause the placement of the medical device for the purpose of “cooling the brain” – a rationale not accepted by other UNMH neurosurgeons, according to the document.
(Other medical personnel have concurred that such use is, at best, highly questionable.)
The Candle has reported extensively about the concerns of medical personnel over what they describe as serious harm and possible death from the misuse a medical device, known as IRRAflow, in certain brain operations.
The document, which The Candle was informed had been submitted to the University of New Mexico Hospital’s risk management and patient and/or safety committees, further alleged that the device was misplaced by a resident physician causing further brain injury.
The document continued, alleging that during an attempt to reposition the medical device, another resident, caused an acute subdural hematoma, necessitating a second craniectomy and evacuation.
The document alleges that the misplacement of the medical device and the subsequent iatrogenic injury, suggest insufficient supervision and training of residents in use of the device.
Such alleged failures, would be serious violations of patient safety protocols.
Attending neurosurgeons of the University of New Mexico Hospital and School of Medicine’s Neurosurgery Residency program, are required to supervise closely operating procedures implemented by resident physicians.
The Candle sent an email to neurosurgeon Griffith Harsh, who is also the Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery at UNM, relative to the events described above.
Dr. Harsh, as The Candle acknowledged in the email, has been at UNM since January 2025.
(See copy of email below.)
It is believed that Dr. Harsh was brought in to rebuild the UNM Neurosurgery department and was also a member of the ACGME review team that recommended the ACGME withdraw its accreditation of the the UNM School of Medicine Neurosurgery Residency Program in 2018-19.
It has been almost a month since the email was sent to Dr. Harsh.
He has not provided any response.
The Candle will be updating reporting on the alleged events contained in the document referred to above; and will report on allegations that UNM Hospital and the School of Medicine Neurosurgery has failed to properly seek informed consent from some of its patients.
The next article will also reveal a history of failure by the University of New Mexico, the UNM Hospital, and State of New Mexico Health regulatory agencies to be transparent regarding serious allegations of harm to patients of the Neurosurgery Department at the UNM Hospital.