THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
December 22, 2025 at 16:27 JST
Medical device manufacturer NuVasive Japan is under investigation after employees allegedly operated X‑ray machines during surgery without the legally required qualifications.
Police searched the company's headquarters in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward along with several related locations last month, according to sources.
Investigators are also reviewing videos and photographs that appear to show company sales representatives manipulating X‑ray equipment during surgical procedures.
The incidents came to light in April following reporting by The Asahi Shimbun. Authorities are examining not only the criminal responsibility of the company’s employees but also how hospital staff and surgeons may have allowed the unauthorized equipment operation to occur.
Under Japan’s medical law, only physicians and licensed radiological technologists are permitted to operate X‑ray equipment due to the potential health risks associated with radiation exposure.
NuVasive Japan acknowledged to The Asahi Shimbun that four sales representatives operated X‑ray machines at medical institutions across the Kanto and Kansai regions between April and November 2024.
The employees reportedly adjusted the devices and pressed exposure switches during orthopedic surgeries involving the company’s spinal implants.
The Kansai Medical University Medical Center in Moriguchi, Osaka Prefecture, confirmed that a NuVasive employee operated an X‑ray device during surgery.
However, the hospital said the employee did so without instructions from the attending physician. The doctor involved has since resigned.
Following the initial media reports, NuVasive Japan launched an investigation led by external lawyers. In November, the company acknowledged the misconduct and issued a public apology.
The company declined to comment on the recent police search.
The health ministry has interviewed NuVasive officials and ordered local authorities to conduct on‑site inspections at hospitals where the company acknowledged the unauthorized acts occurred.
Experts note that X‑rays are commonly used during surgery to confirm internal positioning. Prolonged orthopedic procedures can result in extended exposure times, increasing the risk of damage to organs and nerves.
The recent revelation is particularly concerning, as it involves non‑professional outsiders participating in critical medical procedures.
While previous cases of unauthorized X‑ray operation have involved unlicensed dental assistants or medical staff, those individuals were part of the medical institutions themselves.
(This article was compiled from reports by Nobuya Sawa, a senior staff writer, Hiroyuki Kojima and Yosuke Takashima.)
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A NuVasive Japan employee operates an X‑ray machine during surgery at a university hospital in the Kansai region in 2024. (Provided by a source)
