Summary
A patient had spent over five years as a prisoner in her own home, confined by 24-hour burning and aching pain from a T3-T4 thoracic disc herniation that robbed her of dancing, working out, and everything she loved. Unable to sleep or leave the house 95% of the time. After consulting more than 20 doctors. Several of whom told her to simply accept this as her life. Including one who performed a trigger point muscle excision that left a large incision and provided no relief, she refused to give up and kept researching until she found Deuk Spine Institute. Dr. Deukmedjian performed the thoracic Deuk Laser Disc Repair® endoscopically through a four-millimeter incision at T3-T4, and the following morning she described feeling like a new person with a new beginning. Already planning to start dancing again and create a “Deuk line dance” for her YouTube channel.
Transcript
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Hey, good morning. March 6th, 2024. I’m Dr. Deukmedjian. I’m here at Deuk Spine Institute with one of my patients who traveled here for a thoracic disc problem. I’m going to let her tell you a little bit more about how life was before her surgery. Thoracic disc herniations and pain they’re not as common as lumbar and cervical, but when they do happen they can rob people of their quality of life. What was your life like before you had your surgery yesterday?
Patient: Oh, miserable. I spent over five years being in 24-hour pain… just pain. Couldn’t go anywhere. 95% of my time was at home, in the house. Before then I would dance, have fun, work out. But now, pretty much, I’m a prisoner in my whole house in my own body.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: And where was your pain?
Patient: Right at T3-T4. Burning, aching, 24 hours a day. No sleep. Nothing. Just sitting in the house all day. Not living my life. At all. At all.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: And yesterday we went in endoscopically. We found that T3-T4. We used the laser to clean out your disc and get rid of the herniation and the tear. How do you feel today?
Patient: Oh, I feel fantastic. I feel like a new person. I feel like I got a new beginning a new chance at life. Thank God for you, you know.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: The burning it’s common for people to have muscle pain after the surgery. We can’t fix muscle pain. We fix joint pain. But we can’t fix muscle. And unfortunately, when you have joint pain like you did the disc pain it’s a deep, knife-like aching pain and it keeps you from doing things. Like you said, you were robbed of dancing and doing all the activities you normally do. So the muscles get deconditioned, they start to get weak. It takes time to rebuild them. And that’s one of the things we can’t do as surgeons. We can’t rebuild your muscles. The patients have to. And so now you’re going to go out and be active.
Patient: Absolutely. Going to start dancing again. Absolutely.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: And who are you going to think about when you’re dancing?
Patient: You. Dr. Deuk and Deuk Spine. I’m going to make up a Deuk line dance. How about that?
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Oh, I love it. Promise me you’re going to post that on YouTube so we can see it.
Patient: I have a YouTube channel.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: What you’re going to be on my YouTube channel?
Patient: I would be happy to come on your YouTube channel. Sure, you have my cell phone number. Text me, let me know what you want me to do. I would love to do whatever you need me to do. And I want to say one other thing.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Yes, ma’am.
Patient: If you’re in pain. Don’t ever give up. I researched countless nights, countless nights. Don’t believe what the first doctor says. I had doctors tell me to just be this way the rest of my life. I refused to give up. I said, “No, you’re just practicing medicine. I’m going to somebody else.” So don’t give up. Don’t believe the first doctor, the second, third, fourth, or fifth. I’ve seen over 20 doctors to be exact. So don’t give up, do your research, and come to this man Deuk Spine Institute in Melbourne, Florida. Don’t give up.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: We’ve been very blessed here at Deuk Spine for several reasons. God has given us the ability to understand where pain comes from but also how to get rid of it properly and safely.
Patient: Absolutely.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: And that’s what we did yesterday. We went in with the endoscope, we found the tear, we used the laser. We did it all with a four-millimeter incision. You can almost not see it on her back. I had to look for it. But it was right next to that giant incision that some doctor tried to cut her muscle out of her spine to get rid of her trigger point. Trigger point excision is what they call it. That was a first for me in 26 years of practicing spine surgery never seen that. But that’s not the right thing, folks. Muscles are not the main source of pain. It is the joints. And the muscles are secondary. So fix the joint problem underneath, and the muscle pain will eventually go away. Congratulations. Is there anything else you want to say to your people out there. Your YouTubers, your followers?
Patient: Absolutely. Just stay tuned the party is going to happen. The party is going to happen. And one other thing you said this was the first time you ever saw this procedure done elsewhere. You’re the first doctor I ever saw it work with. So we’re one and one.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: There we go. Hey, thank you so much.
Patient: Welcome. Safe travels.
Deuk Laser Disc Repair® At Deuk Spine Institute
This patient underwent the Deuk Laser Disc Repair® for the thoracic spine at Deuk Spine Institute. The world’s only center offering minimally invasive endoscopic laser treatment for thoracic disc herniations to address a T3-T4 herniation causing five years of 24-hour burning and aching pain that had left her completely homebound. Using an endoscope and laser through a four-millimeter incision, Dr. Deukmedjian located and cleaned the annular tear and disc herniation. A procedure that stands in stark contrast to the trigger point muscle excision performed by a prior provider, which left a large visible scar and provided no relief. As Dr. Deukmedjian explains, muscles are a secondary source of pain. Fixing the underlying joint problem is what produces lasting results, with muscle recovery following naturally over time. The thoracic Deuk Laser Disc Repair® is performed as an outpatient procedure with no hospitalization and no narcotic pain medication, and is the only surgical option of its kind for patients suffering from thoracic disc pain who have been told by multiple physicians that nothing can be done. Patients with thoracic back pain are strongly encouraged to submit their MRI for a complimentary MRI review and virtual consultation with Dr. Deukmedjian before accepting a lifetime of pain management.