Thoracic pain presents between the shoulder blades, wraps around the ribs, and settles deep in your back. Most doctors can’t tell you why.
Founded by board-certified neurosurgeon Dr. Ara Deukmedjian with over 30 years of experience, Deuk Spine Institute® identifies the exact source – then eliminates it with a precise, minimally invasive procedure. No spinal fusion required.
Pain Relief
Complication Rate
Infection Rate
Spinal Fusion
Your thoracic spine consists of twelve vertebrae (T1–T12), twelve intervertebral discs, and twenty-four paired facet joints. Connected to your rib cage, these structures provide stability to your upper body while protecting the spinal cord – making it the least mobile region of your spine.
When a disc tears or a facet joint becomes inflamed, the pain signals travel through the sinuvertebral nerve directly to your brain. The key is identifying exactly which structure is generating those signals.
See what patients are saying about their experience, their recovery, and their results with our advanced spine treatments.
Standard MRIs and X-rays show structural changes — but cannot identify which structure is actually generating your pain. Without a precise diagnosis, treatment is guesswork.
Opioids, NSAIDs, and steroid injections suppress symptoms temporarily while the underlying problem progresses. You're numbing the pain, not healing the cause.
Traditional spinal fusion means fusing multiple vertebral levels and eliminating motion — because without a precise diagnosis, surgeons have no choice but to operate broadly.
Many patients experience the same pain post-fusion, returning to the same cycle — now with less spinal motion, more scar tissue, and the real cause still unresolved.
Let Deuk Spine Institute customize a treatment plan for your specific condition
Chronic thoracic pain almost always originates from one of three anatomical sources. Identifying which one – and at which thoracic level – is the entire key to getting fixed.
You may have more than one condition at once — each flaring on its own schedule. This is why Dr. Deukmedjian requires a comprehensive virtual consultation, not just an MRI review. A complete diagnosis is the only path to complete relief.
When thoracic facet joints are damaged through trauma, they develop arthritis causing sharp pain, muscle spasms, and stiffness. Traditional radiofrequency ablation (RFA) fails over 50% of the time, and when it works, relief lasts only 3–6 months – trapping patients in cycles of repeated procedures without lasting relief.
Vertebral body fractures are most common in postmenopausal women and men with testosterone deficiency. Diagnosed on X-ray or MRI. The treatment is kyphoplasty – a minimally invasive procedure we perform at Deuk Spine Institute®.
Thoracic nerve root irritation – caused by chemical inflammation from a disc injury – produces the pain that radiates around your ribs. Nerve compression, on the other hand, causes weakness, numbness, or tingling – never pain. This distinction is the reason most traditional treatments fail: they target compression, not the inflammatory irritation that’s actually generating your symptoms.
Standard imaging tells you what your thoracic spine looks like. It cannot tell you which structure is actually causing your pain. An MRI might show disc changes at multiple levels — but only one may be painful. A facet joint generating all your symptoms might appear completely normal on imaging.
Dr. Deukmedjian personally reviews every MRI alongside a detailed virtual physical examination – identifying the exact structures generating your pain, not just changes visible on imaging.
When you know exactly where the problem is, you don’t need broad, destructive surgery. Our procedures target your precise pain generator — 4–7mm incision, no fusion, same-day discharge.
Our proprietary procedure uses Holmium YAG laser technology to remove herniated disc material causing inflammation, debride inflamed tissue, and shrink the tear to accelerate healing. Dr. Deukmedjian discovered that removing the herniated material lodged in the disc tear allows your body to heal naturally – the only procedure that directly addresses the source of discogenic pain.
The procedure takes approximately 20 minutes per disc through an incision smaller than a dime (4–7mm). Results are peer-reviewed and published. Most patients experience immediate relief, with disc healing continuing for 9–12 months.
Twilight
4-7mm
Never Required
None
24 Hours
Zero to Date
~20min / disc
99% Average
Instead of broad, invasive surgery, plasma technology allows us to treat only what’s causing your pain — through a 4mm incision, with no fusion and same-day discharge.
Our proprietary plasma procedure targets the pain nerves supplying arthritic thoracic facet joints – permanently eliminating the signal carrying pain to your brain without damaging surrounding tissue or destabilizing your spine.
Traditional medicine treats this with Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA), which fails over 50% of the time and requires repeat treatments every 3–6 months. Our patients experience lifetime relief from a single procedure.
Twilight
~5 Minutes
99% vs. 50%
Lifetime
Rarely Needed
Zero to Date
None
Same Day
| Feature | Thoracic Deuk Laser Disc Repair® | Traditional Surgery(Thoracic Spinal Fusion) |
|---|---|---|
| Anesthesia Type | Twilight | General |
| Incision Size | 4–7mm | 3–6 inch |
| Spinal Fusion Required | Never | Always — hardware implanted |
| Hospital Stay | None — outpatient | 3–5 days |
| Recovery Time | 24 hours | 3–6 months |
| Spinal Motion Preserved | Yes — always | No — permanently eliminated |
| Adjacent Segment Disease Risk | None | Very high — common long-term |
| Hardware / Implants | None | Rods, screws, cages |
| Infection Risk | Zero | High |
| Complication Rate | Zero to date | 5–50%+ |
| Average Pain Relief | 99% | ~50% |
*Traditional surgery statistics represent published industry outcomes for thoracic spinal fusion procedures.
Upload your latest MRI for a free review and consultation with Dr. Ara Deukmedjian, creator of Deuk Laser Disc Repair®
Deuk Laser Disc Repair® and Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® were developed by Dr. Deukmedjian and are exclusive to our institute. When you come to us, you’re getting access to the forefront of spine care.
0.01% overall complication rate. 0% infection rate. Zero complications to date on our laser and plasma procedures maintained through meticulous protocols refined over thousands of successful surgeries.
Founded in 2004 by Dr. Ara Deukmedjian, his wife Sun (a physician assistant), and their children. We are not a corporate chain. Every patient outcome carries our family name and personal investment.
Free MRI Reviews
DLDR® Procedures
Performed
Procedures Performed
Of Innovation
Getting expert spine care has never been easier – here’s how we guide you from pain to clarity.
Upload your MRI through our secure portal. Dr. Deukmedjian personally reviews your imaging alongside a detailed virtual physical examination. You leave with a clear diagnosis – probably for the first time.
Receive a specific diagnosis and customized treatment recommendation – not a generic protocol. A plan built around your exact pain generators, with honest answers about whether we can help.
Your procedure takes 20–45 minutes. You walk out the same day. Back to normal activity within 24 hours – not 3–6 months. No hospital stay. No fusion. Just relief.
You don’t need another treatment that masks your pain. You need to know exactly where it’s coming from – and someone who can fix it precisely. Over 45,000+ patients have trusted us with their spine care since 2004.
Your first step costs nothing. Our free MRI review gives you clear answers about your condition and whether our treatments can help. No sales pressure. No obligation. Just an honest assessment from one of the world’s leading spine surgeons.
No cost. No obligation. Dr. Deukmedjian personally reviews every case.
Patients Treated Since 2004
Our procedures have given thousands of patients lasting relief from chronic thoracic pain when other treatments failed. Read their stories at our patient experience page.
Treatment costs vary depending on your specific procedure and insurance coverage. Most major insurance plans are accepted; however, they do not cover all of the treatments we offer. Be sure to ask our staff if your procedure will be covered by your insurance. We provide transparent pricing and work with you to maximize your insurance benefits. After your free consultation, we’ll give you a clear understanding of costs before you commit to treatment. Our focus is removing financial barriers so you can get the care you need.
Average recovery time is 30 minutes to one hour before discharge. You will go home the same day. 90% of patients experience immediate pain relief; for 10%, it can take up to three months. Our surgeries require no rehab time. This contrasts sharply with thoracic fusion surgery, which requires one to several days in the hospital for uncomplicated surgery and 3–6 months of rehabilitation.
You may be a candidate if you have a herniated or bulging thoracic disc causing mid-back pain, rib pain, numbness, tingling, or intercostal neuralgia. The best way to determine candidacy is through our free MRI review, where Dr. Deukmedjian personally evaluates your imaging and symptoms with our proprietary Deuk Spine Exam®. Conditions we commonly treat include thoracic disc herniations, degenerative disc disease, spondylosis, and disc protrusions and extrusions.
The thoracic spine is the least mobile region, and thoracic disc injuries are less common than cervical or lumbar injuries. Most spine specialists focus on the neck and lower back. Thoracic pain is commonly misattributed to muscle strain, poor posture, stress, or even cardiac and pulmonary conditions — leaving the real structural cause untreated for months or years.
This is a critical distinction most doctors miss. Nerve compression causes weakness, numbness, or tingling – never pain. The pain you feel from a thoracic disc injury comes from chemical irritation of the nerve root caused by inflammation — your body’s immune response to herniated disc material trapped in the annular tear. This is why treatments targeting “compression” often fail — they’re addressing the wrong mechanism entirely.
Deuk Spine Institute® offers proprietary patented procedures developed by Dr. Deukmedjian that are not available anywhere else. Deuk Laser Disc Repair®, Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy®, and Deuk Piriformis Muscle Release® are exclusive techniques refined over 30 years of innovation. We’re not using generic laser spine surgery methods available at other centers. Our 0.01% complication rate, 0% infection rate, and 99% average pain relief set us apart — backed by peer-reviewed published results across over 45,000+ procedures since 2004.
Most major insurance plans are accepted; however, they do not cover all of the treatments we offer. Be sure to ask our staff if your procedure will be covered by your insurance. Our team works directly with your insurance company to verify benefits and maximize coverage. We provide transparent pricing and financial counseling so you understand your costs before treatment. Don’t let insurance concerns prevent you from getting evaluated. We offer free virtual consultations. Our representatives will review your insurance coverage after a specific diagnosis and recommended treatment has been made by our team of providers.
We frequently treat patients who underwent unsuccessful traditional procedures. Our minimally invasive approach can often address problems that previous surgery either missed or created. During your free MRI review, Dr. Deukmedjian will evaluate your previous surgery, understand what went wrong, and determine if our procedures can help. Many patients who’ve had failed thoracic fusion achieve excellent results with our approach.
You’ve lived with pain long enough. You’ve tried treatments that don’t work. There is a better way. Deuk Spine Institute® offers proprietary minimally invasive procedures that fix the underlying problem causing your pain. You’ll walk out the same day. You’ll return to normal activities within 24 hours. And you’ll finally have your life back.
Your first step costs nothing. Our free MRI review gives you clear answers about your condition and whether our treatments can help. No sales pressure. No obligation. Just an honest assessment from one of the world’s leading spine surgeons.
