Patient records surgery performed by doctor with history of surgical practices deemed unsafe, unsanitary

INDIANAPOLIS — While Levi Harrison lay on the table, he used his phone to take photos and videos of his surgical procedure.

“I had my phone the whole time and I was bored… and so I made all kinds of videos and Snapchats,” explained Harison in a February 2023 interview.

It was last year when FOX59/CBS4 first introduced central Indiana to Harrison. He was one of dozens of patients of Dr. Scott Mimms with horrible surgical outcomes.

Following dramatic weight loss, Harrison’s body was deeply scarred after a series of procedures performed by Mimms.

In January of last year, Mimms’ medical license was suspended. The Medical Licensing Board scolded Mimms for doing two medical jobs at once, performing surgery while overseeing anesthesia.  

In our first story about Harrison last year, he talked about taking pictures of a surgery but could not find the images he had taken.

But recently, the photos and videos were discovered on a cloud drive. Harrison shared those images with FOX59/CBS4. They appear to be the first direct evidence of Mimms acting as a surgeon while monitoring a patient’s sedation.

Data embedded in the photos indicate the surgery took place in July 2020.

Both Harrison and his wife, a nurse, tell FOX59/CBS4 that the procedure was to remove fat deposits from Harrison’s breasts and was performed in Mimms’ office on North Shadeland Avenue.

In a series of still images, Mimms’ hands can be seen suturing a surgical opening on Harrison’s chest. Harrison is conscious and wearing mirrored sunglasses. Visible in the reflection of the sunglasses are Harrison’s hands holding his phone.

Harrison told us last year he was prescribed Vicodin to address the pain of a surgical procedure.

There is a video that corroborates Harrison’s story. A 29-second clip includes this brief conversation about pain medication:

Levi Harrison: “I was going to do another (Vicodin) cuz’ it seems that…”

Dr. Scott Mimms: “How many Vicodin have we given so far?”

Levi Harrison: “Ah, four…maybe it was four…cuz’ my first dose…”

Surgical Assistant: “One, two, three, four. Yeah, four.”

Dr. Scott Mimms: “You can give him another one.”

By email, Mimms explained, “I only offered patients awake procedures. (Harrison) was given oral meds to help keep him comfortable during the procedure. This is a common practice by all medical professionals who do procedures in an office-based setting.”

Mimms faces 42 claims of malpractice listed as “active” on the Indiana Department of Insurance’s website.

The Indianapolis surgeon is due back before the Medical Licensing Board on Thursday morning but there is a development that could lead to the continuation of Mimms’ suspended medical license.

His attorneys, David Jose and Mary Watts of the law firm Amundsen Davis, have withdrawn from the case. Mimms discloses he has been unable to pay an outstanding balance for his legal defense. Mimms did not indicate whether he’s hired replacement counsel.